Delivery assistance device, delivery assistance method, and recording medium

Abstract

This delivery assistance device comprises: a delivery destination specification means for specifying a delivery destination to which a delivery is to be made next by a delivery vehicle; an acquisition means for acquiring product information of an ordered product to be delivered to the delivery destination; a loading location specification means for specifying the loading location of the ordered product in the loading space of the delivery vehicle on the basis of the product information; a detection means for detecting the start of unloading of the ordered product; an operation detection means by which, after detecting the start of unloading, an operation for unloading the ordered product is detected for each loading location; and a notification means for notifying the delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading operation has not been detected.

Description

Delivery support device, delivery support method, and recording medium

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

[0002] When the delivery vehicle arrives at the delivery destination, the delivery person unloads the products from the delivery vehicle's loading platform. The delivery person then transports the ordered products to the delivery destination. At this time, the delivery person may forget to unload the products from the loading platform of the delivery vehicle.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a delivery system that displays the location of a specified delivery item on the platform of a delivery vehicle on a liquid crystal display device.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-347936

[0005] The delivery system in Patent Document 1 may be able to display the location of any forgotten items on a liquid crystal display device. However, for example, when a delivery person is unloading multiple items, the delivery person may not notice that he or she has forgotten to unload an item.

[0006] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a delivery support device or the like that can prevent forgetting to unload goods from the bed of a delivery vehicle.

[0007] A delivery assistance device in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a delivery destination identification means for identifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck, an acquisition means for acquiring product information for ordered products to be delivered to the delivery destination, a loading location identification means for identifying a loading location for the ordered products on the bed of the delivery truck based on the product information, a detection means for detecting the start of unloading of the ordered products, an action detection means for detecting the action of unloading the ordered products at each loading location after detecting the start of unloading, and a notification means for notifying the delivery person if there is a loading location where unloading action is not detected.

[0008] A delivery assistance method in one aspect of the present disclosure identifies the next delivery destination for a delivery truck, obtains product information for the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination, identifies loading locations for the ordered items on the delivery truck's loading platform based on the product information, detects the start of unloading of the ordered items, and after detecting the start of unloading, detects the action of unloading the ordered items at each loading location, and notifies the delivery person if there is a loading location where unloading action is not detected.

[0009] A delivery assistance program in one aspect of the present disclosure executes the following process: identifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck; acquiring product information for the ordered items to be delivered to the destination; identifying the loading locations of the ordered items on the delivery truck's loading platform based on the product information; detecting the start of unloading of the ordered items; after detecting the start of unloading, detecting the action of unloading the ordered items at each loading location; and notifying the delivery person if there is a loading location where no unloading action is detected.

[0010] Each program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

[0011] One example of the effect of the present disclosure is that it is possible to prevent forgetting to unload goods from the bed of a delivery vehicle.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support system including a delivery support device; 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support device; 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which product information of an ordered product is displayed; 4 is a diagram showing an example of a notification method; 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device; and 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the delivery support device.

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] [Embodiment] First, an application example of the delivery support device 10 will be described. A delivery person delivers products ordered by a customer to an address specified by the customer. In the following description, the products ordered by the customer will be referred to as "ordered products." The address specified by the customer will be referred to as "delivery destination." An example of an address specified by a customer is the customer's home address. The address specified by the customer may be an address other than the customer's home. An example of a location other than the customer's home is the home of the customer's family, who live away from the customer. The delivery person loads the ordered products into a delivery vehicle, such as a truck, and heads to the delivery destination. When the delivery vehicle arrives at or near the delivery destination, the delivery person unloads the ordered products from the delivery vehicle's loading platform. The delivery person then transports the unloaded ordered products from the delivery vehicle to the delivery destination. The delivery person completes the delivery by transporting the ordered products to the delivery destination.

[0015] Here, ordered items may be sorted by product category and loaded onto the bed of a delivery truck. Because ordered items are sorted by product category and loaded, the delivery person may forget to unload some ordered items. Therefore, the delivery support device 10 detects the delivery person's unloading of ordered items for each loading location. Then, if there is a loading location where no unloading action is detected, the delivery support device 10 notifies the delivery person. Therefore, the delivery support device 10 can prevent the delivery person from forgetting to unload ordered items.

[0016] Product categories will be explained in detail. Product categories are classified, for example, by the method of loading ordered products onto the loading platform. Loading methods include, for example, loading ordered products into containers onto the loading platform, and loading ordered products directly onto the loading platform. In other words, product categories include products that are stored in containers and products that are loaded directly onto the loading platform. Products stored in containers may be further stored in different containers for each product category. Furthermore, loading ordered products directly onto the loading platform means loading ordered products onto the loading platform without storing them in a container or the like. An area on the loading platform of a delivery truck where ordered products can be directly loaded is sometimes called a direct loading area. There may be one or more direct loading areas on the loading platform.

[0017] Product categories are also classified according to the characteristics of the ordered products. In some cases, ordered products with the same characteristics must be loaded onto the loading platform. An example of the characteristic of the ordered products is the storage temperature of the product. For example, if the products include food, the storage temperatures include frozen, refrigerated, and room temperature. In other words, a product category includes frozen products, refrigerated products, and room temperature products. The ordered products are placed in containers according to their storage temperatures and loaded onto the loading platform.

[0018] Another example of a characteristic of an order item is that the order item is a fair item or a limited quantity item. If the order item is a fair item or a limited quantity item, the order item may be placed in a container different from other order items and loaded onto a loading pallet. In this case, the product category includes the fair item or the limited quantity item.

[0019] Product categories are set in advance. For example, product categories may be set by the store selling the ordered products. Product categories may be set, for example, according to the number and characteristics of products handled by the store. If the store specializes in frozen products, frozen products may be divided into even smaller product categories. Product categories may also be set by the delivery company. Product categories may be set, for example, according to the structure of the delivery truck. If it is difficult for the delivery truck owned by the delivery company to directly load the ordered products, it is not necessary to set a product category for directly loaded products. Product categories are not limited to the above examples.

[0020] Which product category the ordered product falls into is set in advance. For example, the product category into which the ordered product falls may be set in advance by the store selling the ordered product.

[0021] In the following explanation, an example will be given in which ordered items are divided into five categories, Category A, Category B, Category C, Category D, and Category E, and loaded onto a loading bay. Ordered items included in Category A, Category B, Category C, and Category D are divided into containers for each category and loaded onto a loading bay. Examples of Category A, Category B, Category C, and Category D are frozen items, refrigerated items, room temperature items, and fair items, respectively. Ordered items included in Category E are loaded directly onto a loading bay. In other words, an example of Category E is directly loaded items. The number of categories is not limited to five. Furthermore, the contents of each category are not limited to these.

[0022] When multiple items are ordered, it may be necessary to unload items from multiple product categories. For example, if the ordered items include items from categories A, B, and E, the delivery person must unload the items from the containers for categories A and B. The delivery person also must unload the items from category E that are loaded directly onto the loading platform. However, when it is necessary to unload items from multiple categories, the delivery person may forget to unload items from some categories. Therefore, the delivery support device 10 can reduce the possibility that the delivery person will forget to unload the ordered items from the loading platform.

[0023] The configuration of a delivery support system including a delivery support device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support system including a delivery support device 10. Referring to Fig. 1, the delivery support device 10 is connected to a delivery person terminal 90, a delivery company server 91, and a database 92 via a wired or wireless network. The delivery support device 10 is also connected to a container sensor 93, a camera 94, an audio output device 95, and a light 96 via a wired or wireless network.

[0024] The delivery person terminal 90 is a terminal used by a delivery person who delivers ordered items. For example, the delivery person terminal 90 may be a terminal carried by the delivery person while delivering the items. Alternatively, the delivery person terminal 90 may be a terminal installed in a delivery vehicle and operated by the delivery person. The delivery person terminal 90 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The delivery person terminal 90 is not limited to these. Also, the number of delivery person terminals 90 is not limited to one. The delivery support device 10 may be connected to multiple delivery person terminals 90. For example, the delivery support device 10 may be connected to delivery person terminals 90 used by multiple delivery people. Also, multiple delivery person terminals 90 used by one delivery person may be connected to the delivery support device 10.

[0025] The delivery company server 91 is a server that manages information about delivery vehicles. The delivery company server 91 is, for example, a server that manages delivery by delivery vehicles. The delivery company server 91 manages the areas or destinations to which the delivery vehicles are responsible for delivery. The delivery company server 91 may also manage the delivery order of the delivery vehicles. When a delivery vehicle is responsible for multiple destinations, the delivery order in which the multiple destinations will be visited may be determined in advance. The delivery order may be determined by the delivery person. The delivery order may also be determined by the delivery company server 91. The delivery company server 91 can determine the delivery order for multiple destinations, for example, by solving an optimization problem. The delivery company server 91 may be, for example, a server owned by a delivery company that manages delivery vehicles. The delivery company server 91 may also be a server owned by a store that sells ordered items.

[0026] The database 92 stores information about the order details placed by the customer. The order details include information about the ordered items ordered by the customer. The information about the ordered items includes the name of the ordered items, the number of the ordered items ordered, and the category of the ordered items. The information about the ordered items is not limited to these. The information about the ordered items may include at least one of the price of the ordered items, the manufacturer of the ordered items, the price of the ordered items, or the total amount of the ordered items. The order details also include information about the delivery address of the ordered items. The delivery address of the ordered items is specified by the customer. The delivery company server 91 described above can obtain information about the delivery address to which the delivery van is responsible from the database 92. The database 92 may also store the purchase history of the customer. The information stored in the database 92 is not limited to these.

[0027] The container sensor 93 is a sensor installed in a container in which ordered items are stored. A container sensor 93 is installed for each container. The container sensor 93 can detect that the ordered items have been unloaded from the container. Furthermore, based on the detection result of the container sensor 93, it can be estimated that the ordered items have been unloaded from the container. One example of the container sensor 93 is a magnetic sensor that can detect the opening and closing of a container. Another example of the container sensor 93 is a weight sensor that can measure the weight of the container. Yet another example of the container sensor 93 is a temperature sensor that can measure the temperature inside the container. The types of the container sensor 93 are not limited to these. Referring to FIG. 1 , the delivery support device 10 is connected to a container sensor 93a and a container sensor 93b. The number of container sensors 93 is not limited to two. The delivery support device 10 may be connected to container sensors 93 corresponding to the number of containers.

[0028] The camera 94 is installed on the bed of the delivery vehicle. The camera 94 photographs the area around the loading location. For example, the camera 94 photographs the area around the ordered items loaded directly onto the bed of the delivery vehicle. The camera 94 may also photograph the area around the container in which the ordered items are stored. Referring to FIG. 1 , one camera 94 is connected to the delivery support device 10. The number of cameras 94 is not limited to one. The delivery support device 10 may be connected to multiple cameras 94.

[0029] The audio output device 95 is installed in the delivery vehicle. The audio output device 95 may be installed in the bed of the delivery vehicle. The audio output device 95 may also be installed in the driver's seat of the delivery vehicle. It is sufficient that the delivery person can hear the audio output from the audio output device 95. The audio output device 95 is, for example, a speaker. The audio output device 95 may also be included in the delivery person terminal 90. In other words, audio may be output from the delivery person terminal 90. Referring to FIG. 1 , the delivery support device 10 is connected to one audio output device 95. The number of audio output devices 95 is not limited to one. The delivery support device 10 may be connected to multiple audio output devices 95.

[0030] The lights 96 are installed corresponding to the loading locations. The lights 96 may be installed, for example, near the corresponding loading locations. Furthermore, the lights 96 may be installed together in one location, for example, near the door of the loading platform of the delivery truck. When multiple lights 96 are installed together in one location, each light 96 may indicate the corresponding loading location. The lights 96 can be turned on and off, for example, in response to an instruction from the delivery support device 10. The lights 96 may also be capable of flashing or changing color. Referring to FIG. 1 , the delivery support device 10 is connected to lights 96a and 96b. The number of lights 96 is not limited to two. The delivery support device 10 may be connected to lights 96 corresponding to the number of loading locations. Because ordered items are loaded by dividing them into product categories, the delivery support device 10 may be connected to lights 96 corresponding to the number of product categories. Furthermore, the delivery support device 10 may be connected to lights 96 equal to or greater than the number of product categories.

[0031] The configuration of the delivery support device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the delivery support device 10. The delivery support device 10 includes a delivery destination specifying unit 101, an acquisition unit 102, a loading location specifying unit 103, a detection unit 104, a motion detection unit 105, and a notification unit 106. The delivery support device 10 may further include at least one of a receiving unit 107 and a recording unit 108.

[0032] The delivery destination specifying unit 101 is one aspect of a delivery destination specifying means that specifies the next delivery destination to which the delivery van will make a delivery. The delivery destination specifying unit 101 specifies the next delivery destination to which the delivery van will deliver ordered items. The delivery van may be responsible for deliveries to multiple delivery destinations. In this case, the delivery van will visit the multiple delivery destinations in order to deliver the ordered items. Therefore, the delivery destination specifying unit 101 specifies the next delivery destination to which the delivery van will make a delivery. The next delivery destination is the delivery destination to which the delivery van will first head if no delivery has been made to any of the delivery destinations. Furthermore, if delivery has been completed to some of the multiple delivery destinations, the next delivery destination is the delivery destination to which the delivery van will make a delivery after the delivery destination to which it most recently completed delivery.

[0033] The order of deliveries by delivery vans may be preset. Therefore, the delivery destination specification unit 101 specifies the next delivery destination based on the information on the preset delivery order. The information on the delivery order is information that links the delivery destinations that the delivery vans are responsible for with the order in which deliveries will be made to the delivery destinations. In other words, the information on the delivery order is information that indicates which delivery destinations will be delivered to in what order.

[0034] The delivery destination specification unit 101 can specify the next delivery destination using information on the delivery order and information on delivery destinations to which delivery has already been completed. For example, a delivery person may register the completion of delivery to a delivery destination on the delivery person terminal 90. Then, the delivery destination specification unit 101 can specify the next delivery destination in the delivery order after the delivery destination for which delivery has been registered as completed as the next delivery destination.

[0035] The delivery destination specification unit 101 can acquire information on the delivery order from at least one of the delivery person terminal 90, the delivery company server 91, or the database 92. Then, the delivery destination specification unit 101 can specify the next delivery destination using the acquired information on the delivery order and information on delivery destinations to which delivery has already been completed.

[0036] The delivery destination specification unit 101 may also access at least one of the delivery person terminal 90, the delivery company server 91, or the database 92 to request information on the next delivery destination. The request may include information on delivery destinations to which delivery has already been completed.

[0037] The delivery destination specification unit 101 may specify the next delivery destination by accepting a specification of the next delivery destination. The delivery person can operate the delivery person terminal 90 to specify the next delivery destination from a list of delivery destinations or from the delivery order. The delivery destination specification unit 101 then accepts a specification of the next delivery destination from the delivery person terminal 90. The delivery destination specification unit 101 can specify the delivery destination by accepting a specification of the next delivery destination.

[0038] When the delivery van is responsible for delivery to one delivery destination, the delivery destination specification unit 101 specifies the delivery destination. The delivery destination specification unit 101 may access the delivery company server 91 to specify the delivery destination to which the delivery van is responsible for delivery. The delivery destination specification unit 101 may also access the database 92 to specify the delivery destination to which the delivery van is responsible for delivery.

[0039] The delivery destination specifying unit 101 may specify the next delivery destination to which the delivery van will make a delivery, for example, according to the location information of the delivery van. The delivery destination specifying unit 101 acquires the location information of the delivery van. Then, the delivery destination specifying unit 101 can specify the next delivery destination to which the delivery van will make a delivery, based on the distance between the delivery van and the delivery destination. In other words, when the location of the delivery van is near a delivery destination, the delivery destination specifying unit 101 can specify the delivery destination as the next delivery destination to which the delivery van will make a delivery.

[0040] The acquisition unit 102 is one aspect of acquisition means for acquiring product information for ordered items to be delivered to a delivery destination. The product information for ordered items includes the total number of ordered items included in each product category. For example, the product information for ordered items may include the total number of ordered items included in category A and the total number of ordered items included in category B. The product information for ordered items may include information for identifying the ordered items, the quantity of each ordered item, and information on the product category of each ordered item. Examples of information for identifying the ordered items include the identification number or name of the ordered item. The product information for ordered items is not limited to these. The information for ordered items may also include the price of the ordered items, the manufacturer of the ordered items, the best-before date of the ordered items, the expiration date of the ordered items, and storage conditions for the ordered items.

[0041] Information about the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destinations is linked to the delivery destinations and stored, for example, in a database 92. The acquisition unit 102 references the database 92. The acquisition unit 102 then acquires, from the database 92, information about the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destinations identified by the delivery destination specification unit 101. The information about the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destinations may be included in the delivery order information. In other words, the delivery order information may be information indicating which ordered items will be delivered to which delivery destinations and in what order. When the delivery destination specification unit 101 acquires the delivery order information, the acquisition unit 102 may acquire the information about the ordered items included in the delivery order information.

[0042] The acquisition unit 102 may instruct the deliveryperson terminal 90 to display the acquired product information for the ordered items on a screen. Here, referring to FIG. 3 , an example of product information for the ordered items displayed on the screen of the deliveryperson terminal 90 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying product information for the ordered items. Referring to FIG. 3 , the total number of ordered items included in Category A, Category B, Category C, Category D, and Category E is displayed. In addition, below the display of the total number of ordered items for each product category, a "Product List" is displayed, showing the names of the ordered items, the ordered quantity, and the product categories of the ordered items. Below the product list, a "Start Unloading" button, an "Unloading Complete" button, a "Delivery Complete" button, and a "Collect Order Form" button are displayed. The functions performed when the deliveryperson presses the "Start Unloading" button, the "Unloading Complete" button, the "Delivery Complete" button, or the "Collect Order Form" button will be described later. Examples of buttons displayed on the screen are not limited to these. That is, some of the "Start Unloading" button, the "Unloading Complete" button, the "Delivery Complete" button, and the "Collect Order Form" button may not be displayed on the screen. Furthermore, the "Start Unloading" button, "Unloading Complete" button, "Delivery Complete" button, and "Collect Order Form" button may be displayed on different screens. In other words, the "Start Unloading" button, "Unloading Complete" button, "Delivery Complete" button, and "Collect Order Form" button may be displayed on a screen different from the screen that displays the total number of ordered items included in each category. Some of the "Start Unloading" button, "Unloading Complete" button, "Delivery Complete" button, and "Collect Order Form" button may be displayed on different screens.

[0043] The loading location specifying unit 103 is one aspect of a loading location specifying means that specifies the loading location of the ordered items on the loading platform of a delivery vehicle based on product information. The ordered items are loaded on the loading platform by category. The product information also includes the product categories of the ordered items. Therefore, the loading location specifying unit 103 specifies the loading location of the ordered items on the loading platform based on the product category. In other words, the loading location specifying unit 103 specifies where on the delivery vehicle the product category to which the ordered items belong is loaded. For example, if the product category of the ordered items falls under category A, the ordered items are contained in a container of category A. Therefore, the loading location specifying unit 103 can specify that the loading location of the ordered items is a container of category A. Furthermore, if the product category of the ordered items falls under category E, the ordered items are directly loaded on the loading platform. Therefore, the loading location specifying unit 103 can specify that the loading location of the ordered items is the direct loading area of ​​the loading platform.

[0044] The loading location specifying unit 103 may display the specified loading location on the screen of the deliveryman terminal 90. For example, in FIG. 3 , the loading locations of the products included in a product category may be displayed together with the total number of ordered products included in the product category.

[0045] The detection unit 104 is one aspect of a detection means for detecting the start of unloading of ordered items. When the delivery vehicle arrives near the delivery destination, the delivery person unloads the ordered items from the delivery vehicle's loading platform. The detection unit 104 then detects that the delivery person has started unloading the ordered items. The detection unit 104 can detect that the delivery person has started unloading the ordered items based on the delivery person's actions related to unloading the ordered items.

[0046] The detection unit 104 detects the start of unloading of ordered items, for example, based on a notification from the deliveryperson terminal 90. For example, the deliveryperson terminal 90 displays a screen on which the start of unloading of ordered items can be registered. Referring again to FIG. 3 , a "Start Unloading" button is displayed on the screen of the deliveryperson terminal 90. The deliveryperson then presses the "Start Unloading" button displayed on the screen of the deliveryperson terminal 90. In other words, the deliveryperson uses the deliveryperson terminal 90 to register the start of unloading of ordered items. The deliveryperson terminal 90 then notifies the detection unit 104 that the start of unloading of ordered items has been registered. The detection unit 104 can detect the start of unloading of ordered items by receiving a notification from the deliveryperson terminal 90.

[0047] The detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of the ordered items by, for example, voice input. For example, a microphone (not shown) is installed in the delivery vehicle. The delivery person inputs voice into the microphone indicating that unloading will begin. The detection unit 104 analyzes the voice input into the microphone. The detection unit 104 then detects the start of unloading of the ordered items. Publicly known technology can be used for analyzing the voice. Furthermore, the voice analysis may be performed by an information processing device different from the delivery support device 10. The information processing device and the delivery support device 10 are connected via a wired or wireless network. The detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of the ordered items by receiving the analysis results from the information processing device.

[0048] The detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of ordered items by, for example, stopping the engine of the delivery vehicle. The delivery vehicle may be parked to unload ordered items. Therefore, the detection unit 104 can detect the start of unloading of ordered items by detecting the engine stopping.

[0049] The detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of ordered items based on, for example, the location information of the delivery vehicle. The detection unit 104 acquires the location information of the delivery vehicle. Then, the detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of ordered items based on the distance between the delivery vehicle and the delivery destination. In other words, the detection unit 104 can detect the start of unloading of ordered items when the location of the delivery vehicle is near the delivery destination. The detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of ordered items when, for example, the distance between the delivery vehicle and the delivery destination is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is the distance a delivery person can transport the ordered items unloaded from the bed of the delivery vehicle. The predetermined distance is set in advance. The predetermined distance may be set, for example, by the delivery company or the delivery person. Furthermore, the predetermined distance may be the same or different depending on the delivery person and the delivery destination. The distance that a delivery person can transport the ordered items may vary depending on the delivery person. Furthermore, the distance that a delivery person can transport the ordered items may vary depending on the topography of the delivery destination. Therefore, the predetermined distance may be set according to the delivery person and the delivery destination.

[0050] The detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of the ordered items by, for example, the opening of the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform. The delivery person opens the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform to unload the ordered items. Therefore, the detection unit 104 can detect the opening of the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform using, for example, a sensor (not shown) installed on the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform. In other words, the detection unit 104 can detect the start of unloading of the ordered items. Here, the sensor installed on the door of the loading platform is connected to the delivery support device 10 via a wired or wireless network.

[0051] The detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of ordered items by combining the above-mentioned detection methods. For example, the detection unit 104 can detect the start of unloading of ordered items based on the delivery vehicle's location information and engine stoppage. In other words, when the delivery vehicle's engine is stopped and the location information of the delivery vehicle indicates that it is near the delivery destination, the detection unit 104 can detect the start of unloading of ordered items. Delivery vehicles may also stop their engines when not delivering items. Therefore, the detection unit 104 may detect the start of unloading of ordered items based on the engine stoppage and the delivery vehicle's location information.

[0052] The motion detection unit 105 is one aspect of motion detection means that detects the motion of unloading the ordered products for each loading location after detecting the start of unloading. For the loading location where the ordered products to be delivered to the delivery destination are loaded, the motion detection unit 105 detects the motion of unloading the ordered products.

[0053] Detecting the action of unloading the ordered items at all loading locations where the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination have been loaded indicates that all the ordered items have been unloaded by the delivery personnel. However, not detecting the action of unloading the ordered items at some loading locations where the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination have been loaded indicates that the delivery personnel have forgotten to unload some of the ordered items. Therefore, after detecting the start of unloading, the action detection unit 105 detects the action of unloading the ordered items at each loading location.

[0054] An example of an unloading action is a delivery person opening a container containing ordered items to be delivered to a delivery destination. Ordered items may be contained in different containers depending on their category. When a delivery person unloads items, the delivery person opens the container containing the ordered items. The delivery person then removes the ordered items from the container. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects the action of opening a container containing ordered items to be delivered to a delivery destination.

[0055] The action detection unit 105 detects the action of opening a container that contains the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination, for example, using the container sensor 93. As described above, an example of the container sensor 93 is a magnetic sensor that can detect the opening and closing of a container. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects that the container has been opened using the magnetic sensor. In other words, the action detection unit 105 can detect the action of opening a container.

[0056] Another example of the container sensor 93 is a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature inside the container. The action detection unit 105 detects the action of opening the container by detecting a rise in the temperature inside the container. If the products stored in the container are, for example, frozen products, the temperature inside the container is kept low. If the ordered products include frozen products, the delivery person opens the container and removes the frozen products. At this time, the temperature inside the container may rise. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects that the container has been opened by detecting a rise in the temperature inside the container. In other words, the action detection unit 105 can detect the action of unloading the ordered products from the loading platform.

[0057] Another example of the container sensor 93 is a weight sensor capable of measuring the weight of products contained in a container. The action detection unit 105 detects the action of unloading ordered products from the loading platform based on a decrease in the weight of the products contained in the container. When the delivery person removes the ordered products from the container, the weight of the products contained in the container decreases. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects that the ordered products have been removed from the container based on a decrease in the weight of the products contained in the container. In other words, the action detection unit 105 detects the action of unloading the ordered products from the loading platform. The container sensor 93 may measure the total weight of the container itself and the weight of the products contained in the container.

[0058] The motion detection unit 105 may detect the unloading motion using an image of the loading location. For example, the camera 94 captures an image of the area around the ordered items loaded directly onto the bed of the delivery truck. The ordered items loaded directly onto the bed are included in the image captured by the camera 94. However, when the ordered items loaded directly onto the bed are unloaded, the ordered items are not included in the image captured by the camera 94. In other words, the motion detection unit 105 can detect the unloading motion by analyzing the presence or absence of the ordered items in the image.

[0059] For example, after detecting the start of unloading, the camera 94 captures an image of the periphery of the loading location. The camera 94 may capture images at predetermined time intervals. The camera 94 may also capture moving images. The motion detection unit 105 acquires an image of the loading location from the camera 94. The motion detection unit 105 then analyzes whether or not the ordered items are present in the image. When the ordered items that were included in the image are no longer included in the image, the motion detection unit 105 can detect the unloading motion. In other words, when the ordered items disappear from the image, the motion detection unit 105 can detect the unloading motion.

[0060] The analysis of the presence or absence of the ordered items can use known object detection technology. The analysis of the presence or absence of the ordered items may also be performed by an information processing device (not shown) different from the delivery support device 10. The information processing device is connected to the delivery support device 10 via a wired or wireless network. The action detection unit 105 may then detect the loading / unloading action by acquiring the analysis results from the information processing device.

[0061] The motion detection unit 105 may record the detection of the unloading motion for the loading location where the unloading motion was detected. For example, the motion detection unit 105 may record the detection of the unloading motion by adding a flag to a table of a product category to which the ordered products are included. For example, the motion detection unit 105 detects the motion of unloading the ordered products for a loading location where ordered products of category B are loaded. Then, the motion detection unit 105 adds a flag to category B in the table of product categories to which the ordered products are included. In other words, the loading location of the product category to which the flag is added indicates that the unloading motion was detected. The notification unit 106, which will be described later, can then refer to the table of product categories to determine whether or not to issue a notification. The recording method by the motion detection unit 105 is not limited to these.

[0062] The notification unit 106 is one aspect of a notification means that notifies the delivery person when there is a loading location where no unloading action has been detected. If there is a loading location where no unloading action has been detected by the action detection unit 105, the delivery person may have forgotten to unload the ordered items that were loaded at that loading location. Therefore, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person that there is a loading location where no unloading action has been detected. In other words, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person that there is a loading location where no unloading action has been detected.

[0063] When the detection of unloading motions by the motion detection unit 105 is recorded, the notification unit 106 refers to the product category table described above. The notification unit 106 can then determine whether there are any loading locations where unloading motions are not detected. That is, the notification unit 106 can refer to the product category table to determine whether there are any loading locations where unloading motions are not detected, i.e., whether to issue a notification. When flags are assigned to all product categories that include the ordered items, this indicates that unloading motions have been detected at all loading locations where the ordered items are loaded. In other words, the notification unit 106 does not need to issue a notification. On the other hand, when flags are not assigned to some product categories that include the ordered items, this indicates that unloading motions have not been detected at loading locations where the ordered items of that product category are loaded. In other words, when flags are not assigned to some product categories that include the ordered items, this corresponds to the case where there are any loading locations where unloading motions are not detected. Therefore, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person.

[0064] An example of a notification method by the notification unit 106 is notification by the light 96. The notification unit 106 can notify that there is a loading location where no unloading operation has been detected, for example, by lighting up the light. When there is a loading location where no unloading operation has been detected, the notification unit 106 instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where no unloading operation has been detected to turn on. The light 96 then turns on in accordance with the instruction from the notification unit 106. Furthermore, when there is a loading location where no unloading operation has been detected, the notification unit 106 may instruct the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where no unloading operation has been detected to flash. In other words, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person by instructing the light 96 to turn on or off.

[0065] The notification unit 106 may notify that there is a loading location where unloading operation has not been detected by turning off the light. For example, when the notification unit 106 detects the start of unloading, it instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location of the ordered items to turn on. The light 96 turns on in response to the instruction from the notification unit 106. Then, when the operation detection unit 105 detects unloading operation, the notification unit 106 instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where unloading operation has been detected to turn off. The light 96 corresponding to the loading location where unloading operation has been detected turns off in response to the notification from the notification unit 106. In other words, the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where unloading operation has not been detected is turned on. Therefore, the delivery person can know the loading location where unloading operation has not been detected by the light 96. The notification unit 106 may instruct the light 96 to turn on after detecting the start of unloading and before unloading operation is detected. The instruction to turn off the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where the unloading operation has been detected may be given, for example, at the timing when the unloading operation is detected. Also, the instruction to turn off the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where the unloading operation has been detected may be given, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection unit 104 detected the start of unloading.

[0066] An example of a notification method using the lights 96 will now be described with reference to FIG. 4 . FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the notification method. In FIG. 4 , time elapses from top to bottom, and each square represents the truck bed. The top diagram illustrates an example of the state of the bed when the start of unloading is detected. In the top diagram, containers of categories A, B, C, and D are loaded on the bed. Products belonging to each category are housed in the respective containers. Products belonging to category E are loaded directly on the bed. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4 , the categories containing the ordered products to be delivered to the delivery destination are categories A, B, C, and E. Therefore, when the notification unit 106 detects the start of unloading, it instructs the lights 96 of categories A, B, C, and E to light up. In the center diagram, container opening operations are detected for containers of categories A and C. Products belonging to category E are also being unloaded from the bed. That is, the motion detection unit 105 detects the motion of unloading ordered items at loading locations for ordered items included in categories A, C, and E. Therefore, the notification unit 106 instructs the lights 96 corresponding to the loading locations for ordered items included in categories A, C, and E to turn off. As a result, in the figure below, the lights 96 corresponding to loading locations in category B, where no unloading motion has been detected, are on. The light 96 corresponding to the loading location in category B is on, allowing the delivery person to know that there is a loading location where unloading has been forgotten. The notification method shown in FIG. 4 is an example. The notification method is not limited to this. Furthermore, the location where the light 96 is installed is not limited to this. The light 96 may be installed in a location where the delivery person can see it.

[0067] Another example of a notification method by the notification unit 106 is notification by audio output. When there is a loading location where no unloading operation is detected, the notification unit 106 instructs the audio output device 95 to output audio notifying that there is a loading location where no unloading operation is detected. The notification unit 106 may also instruct the audio output device 95 to output audio notifying that there is a loading location where no unloading operation is detected. Then, the audio output device 95 outputs audio in accordance with the instruction from the notification unit 106.

[0068] Another example of a notification method by the notification unit 106 is notification by displaying a screen on the deliveryperson terminal 90. If there is a loading location where no unloading activity is detected, the notification unit 106 instructs the deliveryperson terminal 90 to display a screen notifying the deliveryperson terminal 90 that there is a loading location where no unloading activity is detected. The notification unit 106 may also instruct the deliveryperson terminal 90 to display a screen notifying the deliveryperson terminal 90 of the loading location where no unloading activity is detected. The deliveryperson terminal 90 displays the screen in response to the instruction from the notification unit 106.

[0069] For example, the notification unit 106 may provide notification if there is a loading location where no unloading operation is detected when a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection unit 104 detected the start of unloading. That is, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection of the start of unloading, the notification unit 106 may, for example, instruct the light 96 to light up, output audio, or display a message on a screen. The predetermined time is the time required to unload the ordered items. In other words, the time when the predetermined time has elapsed since the detection of the start of unloading is the time when unloading of the ordered items is considered to be complete. The predetermined time is set in advance. The predetermined time may be set, for example, by the delivery company or the delivery person. Furthermore, the predetermined time may be the same or different depending on the delivery person and the delivery destination. The time required for unloading may vary depending on the delivery person. Furthermore, the quantity of ordered items may vary depending on the delivery destination. In this case, the time required for unloading may also vary. Therefore, the predetermined time may be set depending on the delivery person and the delivery destination.

[0070] Here, the delivery support device 10 may include a receiving unit 107 .

[0071] The receiving unit 107 is one aspect of receiving means that receives at least one of an unloading completion notice indicating that unloading of the ordered items has been completed and a delivery completion notice indicating that delivery of the ordered items to the delivery destination has been completed. The receiving unit 107 may receive an unloading completion notice or a delivery completion notice. Alternatively, the receiving unit 107 may receive an unloading completion notice and a delivery completion notice.

[0072] The unloading completion notification will be explained below. The delivery completion notification will be explained later. The delivery person delivering the ordered items unloads the ordered items from the loading platform and transports the ordered items to the delivery destination. The unloading completion notification is a notification indicating that the delivery person has completed unloading the ordered items.

[0073] The unloading completion notification may be sent, for example, by the delivery person operating the delivery person terminal 90. Referring again to FIG. 3, an "Unloading Completed" button is displayed on the screen of the delivery person terminal 90. When the delivery person presses the "Unloading Completed" button, the delivery person terminal 90 transmits the unloading completion notification. The receiving unit 107 then receives the unloading completion notification from the delivery person terminal 90.

[0074] The unloading completion notification may be given, for example, by voice input by the delivery person. For example, the delivery person inputs voice into a microphone indicating that unloading is complete. The receiving unit 107 then acquires the input voice. The receiving unit 107 then analyzes the voice to receive the unloading completion notification. The voice analysis may be performed using known technology. Furthermore, the voice analysis may be performed by an information processing device different from the delivery support device 10. The detection unit 104 may receive the unloading completion notification by accepting the analysis results from the information processing device.

[0075] The unloading completion notification may be sent, for example, by detecting that the door of the loading platform of the delivery vehicle has been closed. That is, the receiving unit 107 can receive the unloading completion notification when the door of the loading platform of the delivery vehicle has been closed. A sensor installed on the door of the loading platform of the delivery vehicle can detect that the door of the loading platform of the delivery vehicle has been closed.

[0076] When the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification, if there is a loading location where unloading activity is not detected, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person. The notification unit 106 may instruct the light 96 to light or flash. The notification unit 106 may also instruct the output of a sound notifying that there is a loading location where unloading activity is not detected.

[0077] If the notification unit 106 notifies by turning off the light 96, the notification unit 106 may instruct the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where no unloading operation is detected to blink when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification. Referring back to FIG. 4 , when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification in the state shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 4 , the notification unit 106 may instruct the light 96 for category B to blink. In the state shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 4 , when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification, the delivery person may not realize that they have forgotten to unload the ordered items in category B. Therefore, the blinking of the light 96 for category B may help the delivery person realize that they have forgotten to unload.

[0078] The notification method by the notification unit 106 is not limited to these. The above notification methods may be combined. For example, in a case where the notification unit 106 notifies by turning off the light 96, when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification, the notification unit 106 may instruct the output of a sound notifying that there is a loading location where no unloading operation has been detected.

[0079] The receiving unit 107 may receive a delivery completion notice indicating that delivery of the ordered items to the delivery destination has been completed. The delivery completion notice is a notice indicating that the delivery person has completed delivery to the delivery destination. In other words, the delivery completion notice is a notice indicating that the delivery person has completed transporting the ordered items to the delivery destination.

[0080] The delivery completion notification may be sent by the delivery person operating the delivery person terminal 90, similar to the unloading completion notification. Referring again to FIG. 3, a "Delivery Complete" button is displayed on the screen of the delivery person terminal 90. When the delivery person presses the "Delivery Complete" button, the delivery person terminal 90 transmits the unloading completion notification. The receiving unit 107 then receives the unloading completion notification from the delivery person terminal 90.

[0081] The method of notifying the delivery completion notification by operating the deliveryperson terminal 90 is not limited to these. The delivery completion notification may be notified by operating the deliveryperson terminal 90 to indicate that delivery has been completed. For example, a deliveryperson may receive an order form from a customer when making a delivery. An order form is a document used by a customer to order a product to be delivered next. In other words, receiving an order form from a customer signifies that delivery to the customer has been completed. When the deliveryperson receives the order form, the deliveryperson may register receipt of the order form in the deliveryperson terminal 90. Therefore, when the deliveryperson registers receipt of the order form in the deliveryperson terminal 90, the deliveryperson terminal 90 may send a delivery completion notification. Referring again to FIG. 3, a "Collect Order Form" button is displayed on the screen of the deliveryperson terminal 90 in FIG. 3. When the deliveryperson presses the "Collect Order Form" button, the deliveryperson terminal 90 may send a delivery completion notification.

[0082] The delivery completion notification may also be given by voice input by the delivery person, or by detecting the start of the engine of a stopped delivery vehicle. However, the delivery completion notification is not limited to these.

[0083] When the receiving unit 107 receives a delivery completion notification, if there is a loading location where no unloading activity is detected, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person. The notification by the notification unit 106 can be made in the same manner as when the receiving unit 107 receives a delivery completion notification. That is, the notification unit 106 may instruct the light 96 to light or flash. The notification unit 106 may also instruct the output of a sound notifying that there is a loading location where no unloading activity is detected. Furthermore, if the notification unit 106 notifies by turning off the light 96, the notification unit 106 may instruct the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where no unloading activity is detected to flash when the receiving unit 107 receives a delivery completion notification.

[0084] The receiving unit 107 may receive an unloading completion notification or a delivery completion notification. The receiving unit 107 may also receive an unloading completion notification and a delivery completion notification. In this case, the notification method when the receiving unit 107 receives an unloading completion notification and the notification method when the receiving unit 107 receives a delivery completion notification may be the same or different.

[0085] The notification by the notification unit 106 may be a combination of the above notification methods. For example, the notification unit 106 may notify by turning on the light 96 and by outputting a voice. Furthermore, if the delivery support device 10 includes the receiving unit 107, the notification unit 106 may notify by different notification methods before and after the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification.

[0086] The delivery support device 10 may include a recording unit 108. The recording unit 108 is one aspect of a recording means that records the unloading of ordered items loaded at a loading location where an unloading operation was detected. For example, a list of ordered items is stored in the database 92. The recording unit 108 then records the unloading of ordered items loaded at a loading location where an unloading operation was detected, in the list of ordered items. The list of ordered items can be checked, for example, by a delivery person. That is, the delivery person terminal 90 obtains the list of ordered items from the database 92. The delivery person terminal 90 can then display the list of ordered items on the screen. Therefore, by recording the unloading of ordered items in the list of ordered items, the delivery person can understand the status of unloading of the ordered items.

[0087] The recording unit 108 may record the detection of the unloading operation for the loading location where the unloading operation was detected. That is, the recording unit 108 may record the detection of the unloading operation described in the operation detection unit 105.

[0088] The delivery support device 10 may include a receiving unit 107 and a recording unit 108. The delivery support device 10 may also include the receiving unit 107 or the recording unit 108.

[0089] 5, the operation of the delivery support device 10, which includes the delivery destination specifying unit 101, the acquisition unit 102, the loading location specifying unit 103, the detection unit 104, the motion detection unit 105, and the notification unit 106, will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device 10.

[0090] In step S101, the delivery destination specifying unit 101 specifies a delivery destination for the ordered items. In step S102, the acquisition unit 102 acquires product information for the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination. Then, in step S103, the loading location specifying unit 103 specifies a loading location for the ordered items on the bed of the delivery truck based on the product information.

[0091] In step S104, the detection unit 104 detects the start of unloading of the ordered items. In step S105, the motion detection unit 105 detects the motion of unloading the ordered items for each loading location. If there is a loading location where unloading motion is not detected (Yes in step S106), the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person (step S107). Then, the delivery support device 10 ends its operation. On the other hand, if there is no loading location where unloading motion is not detected (No in step S106), the delivery support device 10 ends its operation.

[0092] The operation of the delivery support device 10 when the delivery support device 10 includes a receiving unit 107 will be described. Between step S105 and step S106, the receiving unit 107 receives an unloading completion notification or a delivery completion notification. Then, when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification or the delivery completion notification, if there is a loading location where unloading activity is not detected (Yes in step S106), the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person (step S107). On the other hand, when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification or the delivery completion notification, if there is no loading location where unloading activity is not detected (No in step S106), the delivery support device 10 ends its operation. The delivery support device 10 repeats the above operation each time the delivery van arrives at the delivery destination.

[0093] The operation of the delivery support device 10 when the delivery support device 10 includes the recording unit 108 will be described. In step S105, the motion detection unit 105 detects an unloading motion. Then, the recording unit 108 records that the ordered items loaded at the loading location where the unloading motion was detected have been unloaded. If there are multiple loading locations, the detection of the unloading motion and the recording of the unloading of the ordered items are repeated. Then, if there is a loading location where no unloading motion is detected (Yes in step S106), the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person (step S107). On the other hand, if there is no loading location where no unloading motion is detected (No in step S106), the delivery support device 10 ends its operation.

[0094] In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 has a motion detection unit 105 that detects the motion of unloading ordered items for each loading location. The notification unit 106 then notifies the delivery person if there is a loading location where no unloading motion is detected. The delivery person unloads the ordered items from the bed of the delivery truck and transports the ordered items to the delivery destination. At this time, the delivery person may forget to unload the ordered items. However, by notifying the delivery person if there is a loading location where no unloading motion is detected, the delivery person can recognize that there is a loading location where the ordered items have not been unloaded. This means that the delivery person can be prevented from forgetting to unload items from the bed of the delivery truck.

[0095] In the delivery support device 10 according to this embodiment, the unloading action includes the action of a delivery person opening a container containing ordered items to be delivered to a delivery destination. The ordered items may be contained in a container and loaded onto the bed of a delivery truck. In this case, the delivery person opens the container, removes the ordered items, and unloads the ordered items from the bed. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects the action of the delivery person opening a container containing ordered items to be delivered to a delivery destination as the action of unloading ordered items. If the notification unit 106 detects no unloading action at a loading location, it notifies the delivery person that the delivery person has not opened the container containing the ordered items. As a result, the delivery person can realize that they have forgotten to unload the ordered items. This prevents the delivery person from forgetting to unload ordered items from a container.

[0096] In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 has a motion detection unit 105 that uses a sensor installed in the container to detect the action of opening a container. A delivery person opens the container to remove ordered items from the container. The motion detection unit 105 then uses the sensor installed in the container to detect the action of opening the container by the delivery person. If there is a loading location where no unloading action is detected, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person, thereby allowing the delivery person to know that there is a container from which ordered items have not been removed. In other words, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 prevents delivery people from forgetting to unload items from the bed of a delivery truck.

[0097] In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 may have the motion detection unit 105 detect the motion of unloading ordered items from the loading platform based on a decrease in the weight of the items contained in the container. When the delivery person removes the ordered items, the weight of the items contained in the container decreases. Therefore, the motion detection unit 105 detects the unloading motion based on the weight of the items contained in the container. With this configuration, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person when there is a loading location where no unloading motion is detected, that is, when there is a container where the weight of the items contained in the container has not decreased. As a result, the delivery person can know that there is a container from which the ordered items have not been removed. In other words, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 prevents the delivery person from forgetting to unload items from the loading platform of the delivery vehicle.

[0098] In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 may have the motion detection unit 105 detect the motion of unloading ordered items from the loading platform based on a temperature rise inside the container. For example, if the ordered items are frozen items stored in a container, removing the ordered items from the container may cause the temperature inside the container to rise. Therefore, the motion detection unit 105 detects the motion of unloading the ordered items from the loading platform based on a temperature rise inside the container. Then, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person if there is a loading location where no unloading motion is detected, that is, if there is a container where the temperature inside the container has not risen. As a result, the delivery person can know that there is a container from which the ordered items have not been removed. In other words, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 prevents the delivery person from forgetting to unload items from the loading platform of the delivery vehicle.

[0099] In the delivery support device 10 according to this embodiment, ordered items are loaded on a loading platform by category. The loading location specifying unit 103 specifies a loading location on the loading platform for the ordered items based on product information including the category of the ordered items. For example, ordered items may be loaded by product category depending on the size or storage temperature of the ordered items. Therefore, the loading location specifying unit 103 specifies a loading location using the category of the ordered items. Because the ordered items fall into any one of the product categories, the loading location specifying unit 103 can specify a loading location for all ordered items without omission.

[0100] Furthermore, the motion detection unit 105 detects unloading motions for each loading location where products are loaded for each product category. By having the motion detection unit 105 detect unloading motions for each loading location, it is possible to reduce the amount of processing by the motion detection unit 105. For example, there are cases where the amount of processing by the motion detection unit 105 is less when detecting unloading motions for each loading location than when detecting unloading motions for each ordered product.

[0101] In this embodiment, when the notification unit 106 detects no unloading activity at a loading location, the delivery support device 10 instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location to light up. A loading location where no unloading activity is detected may occur if the delivery person forgets to unload the ordered items loaded at the location indicated on the back of the package. Therefore, the notification unit 106 instructs the light 96 to light up, and the light 96 turns on, allowing the delivery person to know that the ordered items have been forgotten to be unloaded. As a result, the delivery person can be prevented from forgetting to unload the items from the bed of the delivery vehicle. Furthermore, the notification unit 106 instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where no unloading activity is detected to light up. Therefore, the delivery person can know which loading location the ordered items have been forgotten to be unloaded. If the delivery person is only notified that the ordered items have been forgotten to be unloaded, the delivery person may have to search for the forgotten ordered items. However, if the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where no unloading operation has been detected, i.e., the loading location where the ordered items that were forgotten to be unloaded, is lit, the delivery person may not need to search for the ordered items that were forgotten to be unloaded. In other words, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 can reduce the delivery person's effort in searching for the ordered items that were forgotten to be unloaded.

[0102] In this embodiment, when the notification unit 106 detects the start of unloading, the delivery support device 10 instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location of the ordered items to turn on. Then, when the motion detection unit 105 detects an unloading motion, the notification unit 106 instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where the unloading motion was detected to turn off. In other words, by turning off the light 96, the notification unit 106 essentially notifies the delivery person. The delivery person can then understand that the ordered items loaded at the loading location where the light 96 is on have been forgotten to be unloaded. As a result, the delivery person can be prevented from forgetting to unload items from the bed of the delivery vehicle. Furthermore, when the start of unloading is detected, the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where the ordered items are loaded turns on, allowing the delivery person to use the light 96 as an aid in unloading. When unloading the ordered items, the delivery person may refer to, for example, product information displayed on the delivery person terminal 90 or product information printed on paper to confirm where the ordered items are loaded. However, the notification unit 106 turns on the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where the ordered items are loaded. Therefore, the delivery person can know that the ordered items are loaded in the loading location corresponding to the lit light 96. In other words, the delivery person can know the loading location of the ordered items without looking at the delivery person terminal 90 or paper. Therefore, the delivery person can reduce the effort of checking where the ordered items are loaded by referring to the product information displayed on the delivery person terminal 90 or product information printed on paper. Therefore, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 makes it possible to improve the efficiency of loading and unloading.

[0103] In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 further includes a receiving unit 107 that receives at least one of an unloading completion notice indicating that unloading of the ordered items is complete and a delivery completion notice indicating that delivery of the ordered items to the delivery destination is complete. The notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person if there is a loading location where unloading activity is not detected when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notice or the delivery completion notice. Even if the delivery person thinks that unloading is complete, there may be ordered items that they forgot to unload. Therefore, by notifying the delivery person if there is a loading location where unloading activity is not detected when the unloading completion notice is received, the delivery person can realize that they forgot to unload the ordered items. As a result, the delivery person can be prevented from forgetting to unload items from the delivery vehicle bed. Furthermore, the unloading completion notice is notified before the delivery person delivers the ordered items to the delivery destination. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the delivery person from realizing that they forgot to unload the ordered items after delivering the ordered items to the delivery destination. For example, a delivery person may realize that they forgot to unload the ordered items after they have delivered them to the delivery destination. In this case, the forgotten ordered items may need to be delivered to the delivery destination again. However, by receiving a notification before the ordered items are delivered to the delivery destination, the delivery person's effort to deliver them to the delivery destination again can be reduced. Furthermore, if the ordered items are forgotten to be unloaded, the customer may realize that some of the ordered items have not been delivered and may complain. However, by the notification unit 106 notifying the customer before the ordered items are delivered to the delivery destination, the delivery company or retail store can prevent complaints from the customer. Furthermore, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 makes it possible to maintain customer satisfaction.

[0104] Furthermore, when a delivery completion notification is received, if there is a loading location where no unloading activity is detected, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person, allowing the delivery person to realize that the ordered items were forgotten to be unloaded before leaving the delivery destination. After the delivery person transports the ordered items to the delivery destination, they head to the next delivery destination. Here, the delivery completion notification is received when the delivery person finishes transporting the ordered items to the delivery destination. In other words, if there is a loading location where no unloading activity is detected, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person before or when they start heading to the next delivery destination. Therefore, the delivery person can realize that the ordered items were forgotten to be unloaded before leaving the delivery destination. For example, if the delivery person realizes that they forgot to unload at the previous delivery destination after arriving at the next delivery destination, the delivery person may need to return to the previous delivery destination. Therefore, the delivery person can realize that they forgot to unload the ordered items before leaving the delivery destination. In other words, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 reduces the delivery person's effort to return to a delivery destination to which they have already delivered. Also, if an ordered item is forgotten to be unloaded, the customer may notice that some of the ordered items have not been delivered and may complain. However, by being notified before the delivery person leaves the delivery destination, delivery companies and retail stores can prevent complaints from customers and maintain customer satisfaction.

[0105] Furthermore, when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notice and the delivery completion notice, the delivery person can double-check whether or not they forgot to unload any of the ordered items. In other words, the delivery person can check whether or not they forgot to unload any of the ordered items at two different times: when the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notice and when the delivery completion notice is received.

[0106] In this embodiment, when the notification unit 106 receives an unloading completion notification or a delivery completion notification, if there is a loading location where unloading activity is not detected, the delivery support device 10 instructs the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where unloading activity is not detected to flash. By instructing the light 96 to flash, the delivery person can easily find the loading location where unloading activity has been forgotten. For example, when the notification unit 106 essentially notifies the delivery person by turning off the above-mentioned light 96, the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where unloading activity has been forgotten remains lit. However, the delivery person may not notice that the light 96 is lit and perform an unloading completion operation on the delivery person terminal 90. In this case, by instructing the notification unit 106 to flash the light 96 corresponding to the loading location where unloading activity is not detected, the delivery person can easily notice that they have forgotten to unload. As a result, it is possible to prevent the delivery person from forgetting to unload goods from the bed of the delivery vehicle.

[0107] In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 further includes a recording unit 108 that records the unloading of ordered items loaded at a loading location where an unloading operation was detected. For example, a delivery person may record the unloading of ordered items using a delivery person terminal 90. However, by having the recording unit 108 record the unloading of ordered items loaded at a loading location where an unloading operation was detected, the delivery person may not need to perform the recording operation. This reduces the delivery person's effort in recording the unloading of ordered items.

[0108] In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 instructs the notification unit 106 to output a voice notification that there is a loading location where no unloading operation has been detected. The delivery person can understand from the voice that there is a loading location where unloading has not been detected. In other words, it is possible to prevent the delivery person from forgetting to unload products from the bed of the delivery vehicle.

[0109] In this embodiment, the motion detection unit 105 of the delivery support device 10 detects unloading motions using images of the loading locations. Ordered items include items that are directly loaded onto the loading platform. Therefore, by detecting unloading motions using images of the loading locations, the motion detection unit 105 can detect unloading motions even for loading locations where ordered items are directly loaded. Then, if there is a loading location where unloading motions are not detected, the notification unit 106 notifies the delivery person. In other words, the delivery person can be aware that ordered items that are directly loaded onto the loading platform have been forgotten to be unloaded. This means that it is possible to prevent delivery people from forgetting to unload items from the loading platform of a delivery vehicle.

[0110] In this embodiment, the detection unit 104 of the delivery support device 10 detects the start of unloading when the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform is opened. When the delivery vehicle arrives near the delivery destination, the delivery person opens the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform and unloads the ordered items. The detection unit 104 then detects the start of unloading when the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform is opened. This allows the detection unit 104 to detect the start of unloading from the actions taken by the delivery person for delivery. In other words, the delivery person does not need to perform actions such as registering the start of unloading. This eliminates the need for the delivery person to take the time and effort required to start unloading. Furthermore, the efficiency of unloading by the delivery person can be improved.

[0111] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 107 of the delivery support device 10 receives an unloading completion notification when the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform is closed. When the delivery person has completed unloading the ordered items, the delivery person closes the loading platform door and transports the ordered items to the delivery destination. Then, the receiving unit 107 receives the unloading completion notification when the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform is closed. As a result, the receiving unit 107 can receive the unloading completion notification based on the actions taken by the delivery person for delivery. In other words, the delivery person does not need to perform actions such as registering the completion of unloading. This eliminates the need for the delivery person to take the time and effort required to complete unloading. Furthermore, the efficiency of unloading by the delivery person can be improved.

[0112] [Modification] Next, a modification of the present disclosure will be described. Below, the description of the present embodiment will be omitted to the extent that it does not make the description unclear.

[0113] The action detection unit 105 may detect the action of unloading the ordered products at some of the loading locations where the ordered products have been loaded. The loading locations may include loading locations where it is particularly easy to forget to unload. The ordered products may also include ordered products that are easy to forget to unload. Specific examples of ordered products that are easy to forget to unload will be described later. The delivery person may forget to unload the ordered products from a loading location where ordered products that are easy to forget to unload have been loaded. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 may detect the action of unloading the ordered products at loading locations where it is easy to forget to unload, among the loading locations where the ordered products have been loaded.

[0114] First, loading locations where loading and unloading are easily forgotten will be described. An example of a loading location where loading and unloading are easily forgotten is a loading location that is far from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform. A delivery person unloads ordered items from the loading platform of a delivery vehicle. At this time, the delivery person may forget to unload the ordered items that are loaded in a loading location that is far from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform. Therefore, the motion detection unit 105 may detect the unloading motion for a loading location that is more than a predetermined distance away from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform. A loading location that is more than a predetermined distance away from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform is a loading location that is far from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform. The predetermined distance is set in advance, for example, by the delivery company or the delivery person. The predetermined distance may be set according to, for example, the size of the delivery vehicle or the size of each loading location.

[0115] Other examples of loading locations where loading and unloading is likely to be forgotten include ordered products loaded directly onto the loading platform and locations that are in the blind spot of a container and are difficult for the delivery person to see. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 may detect the action of unloading at locations that are difficult for the delivery person to see. Ordered products loaded directly onto the loading platform and locations that are in the blind spot of a container and are difficult for the delivery person to see are set in advance by, for example, the delivery company or the delivery person. In addition, there may be loading locations where loading and unloading is likely to be forgotten depending on the shape of the loading platform of the delivery truck and the arrangement of the container. The action detection unit 105 may detect the action of unloading at loading locations that have been set in advance and are easy to forget to unload.

[0116] Next, we will explain ordered products that are easily forgotten to unload. An example of an ordered product that is easily forgotten to unload is an ordered product in a product category where the number of ordered products is one. For a certain product category, if there is only one ordered product in that product category, the delivery person may forget to unload that ordered product. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects unloading actions at a loading location where the number of loaded ordered products is one, as a loading location where an ordered product that is easily forgotten to unload is loaded. The action detection unit 105 can identify the loading location where the unloading action is detected based on the product information of the ordered product. In other words, the action detection unit 105 can refer to the product information and detect unloading actions at a loading location where the number of loaded ordered products is one.

[0117] Another example of an ordered product that is easily forgotten to unload is an ordered product that is rarely ordered by a customer. Ordered products include products that are frequently ordered and products that are not ordered often. Delivery personnel may forget to unload an ordered product that is not ordered often. In other words, delivery personnel may forget to unload an ordered product that is rarely ordered. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects the action of unloading at a loading location where an ordered product that is rarely ordered is loaded, as a loading location where an ordered product that is easily forgotten to unload is loaded. Ordered products that are rarely ordered by a customer include, for example, ordered products that are ordered infrequently or ordered products that have been ordered in small quantities in the past. Ordered products that are rarely ordered by a customer are not limited to these.

[0118] Ordered items that are rarely ordered by customers may include, for example, fair items or limited-quantity items. Fair items may only be sold during a fair period. Therefore, delivery personnel may forget to unload fair items compared to items that are always on sale. Furthermore, since limited-quantity items are limited in quantity, delivery personnel may have fewer opportunities to handle such limited-quantity items. Therefore, delivery personnel may forget to unload limited-quantity items. Therefore, the motion detection unit 105 may detect an unloading motion at a loading location where fair items or limited-quantity items are loaded, as a loading location where ordered items that are easily forgotten to be unloaded are loaded.

[0119] The action detection unit 105 may detect the action of unloading ordered products at a loading location where unloading is likely to be forgotten and at a loading location where ordered products that are likely to be forgotten to be unloaded are loaded. Furthermore, the loading location at which the action detection unit 105 detects the action of unloading may be changed depending on, for example, the delivery person, the delivery vehicle, or the delivery destination.

[0120] In this modified example, the motion detection unit 105 of the delivery support device 10 detects unloading motions at loading locations that are a predetermined distance or more away from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform. A location that is a predetermined distance or more away from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform is a loading location that is far from the door of the delivery vehicle. A delivery person may forget to unload ordered items that are loaded at a loading location that is far from the door of the delivery vehicle. Therefore, by having the motion detection unit 105 detect unloading motions at loading locations that are a predetermined distance or more away from the door of the delivery vehicle's loading platform, it is possible to prevent delivery personnel from forgetting to unload ordered items that are loaded at a loading location that is far from the door of the delivery vehicle.

[0121] In this modified example, the action detection unit 105 of the delivery support device 10 detects unloading actions at a loading location where ordered items that are easily forgotten to be unloaded are loaded. An example of an ordered item that is easily forgotten to be unloaded is an ordered item in a product category where the number of ordered items is one. In other words, a delivery person may forget to unload an item in a product category where only one item has been ordered. Therefore, the action detection unit 105 detects unloading actions at a loading location where the number of ordered items loaded is one. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to unload ordered items that are easily forgotten to be unloaded.

[0122] [Hardware Configuration Example] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the delivery support device 20 according to the present disclosure. The delivery support device 20 is realized by a computer. The delivery support device 20 is an example of the delivery support device 10 realized by a computer.

[0123] The delivery support device 20 includes a processor 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, a storage device 204 such as a hard disk for storing programs, an input / output interface 205 for inputting and outputting data, and a communication interface 206 for network connection. Each component is connected via a bus 207.

[0124] The processor 201 runs an operating system to control the entire computer. Examples of the processor 201 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 201 loads programs stored in, for example, the ROM 202 or the storage device 204. The processor 201 then executes each process coded in the program. The processor 201 may execute processes or instructions in the illustrated flowchart based on the program.

[0125] The ROM 202 stores application programs, programs according to the embodiments, etc. The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the processor 201.

[0126] The storage device 204 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. The storage device 204 stores, for example, an operating system (OS) program, application programs, programs according to each embodiment, etc.

[0127] The input / output interface 205 is connected to peripheral devices (not shown) via a wired network or a wireless network.

[0128] The communication interface 206 is connected to a communication network (not shown), such as a LAN (Local Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), via a wireless or wired network. The communication network may be configured with multiple communication networks. This allows the computer to be connected to an external device via the communication network. The delivery assistance device 20 may have components other than those shown in FIG. 6. For example, the delivery assistance device 20 may have a drive device or the like. For example, the processor 201 may be attached to a drive device or the like and read programs and data stored in a non-transitory tangible recording medium into the RAM 203.

[0129] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0130] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0131] (Supplementary Note 1) A delivery support device comprising: a delivery destination specifying means for specifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck; an acquisition means for acquiring product information for ordered products to be delivered to the delivery destination; a loading location specifying means for specifying a loading location for the ordered products on the bed of the delivery truck based on the product information; a detection means for detecting the start of unloading of the ordered products; an action detection means for detecting the action of unloading the ordered products for each loading location after detecting the start of unloading; and a notification means for notifying a delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading action is not detected.

[0132] (Supplementary Note 2) The delivery support device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the unloading operation includes an operation in which the delivery person opens a container containing the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination.

[0133] (Supplementary Note 3) The delivery assistance device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the operation detection means detects the operation of opening the container using a sensor installed on the container.

[0134] (Supplementary Note 4) The delivery support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the ordered items are loaded on the loading platform by category, and the loading location identification means identifies the loading location on the loading platform for the ordered items based on the product information including the category of the ordered items.

[0135] (Supplementary Note 5) The delivery support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the notification means, when there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected, instructs a light corresponding to the loading location where the unloading operation is not detected to turn on.

[0136] (Supplementary Note 6) The delivery support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the notification means, when detecting the start of unloading, instructs the light corresponding to the loading location of the ordered items to turn on, and when the unloading operation is detected, instructs the light corresponding to the loading location where the unloading operation was detected to turn off.

[0137] (Supplementary Note 7) The delivery support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, further comprising a receiving means for receiving at least one of an unloading completion notice indicating that unloading of the ordered items has been completed and a delivery completion notice indicating that delivery of the ordered items to the delivery destination has been completed, wherein the notifying means notifies the delivery person when receiving the unloading completion notice or the delivery completion notice if there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected.

[0138] (Supplementary Note 8) The delivery support device described in Supplementary Note 7, wherein when the unloading completion notification or the delivery completion notification is received, if there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected, the notification means instructs the light corresponding to the loading location where the unloading operation is not detected to flash.

[0139] (Supplementary Note 9) The delivery support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, wherein the operation detection means detects the unloading operation for the loading location that is a predetermined distance or more away from the door of the loading platform.

[0140] (Supplementary Note 10) The delivery support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9, wherein the operation detection means detects the unloading operation at the loading location where the ordered products that are likely to be forgotten to be unloaded are loaded.

[0141] (Supplementary Note 11) The delivery support device according to Supplementary Note 10, wherein the operation detection means detects the unloading operation for the loading location where the number of loaded ordered products is one.

[0142] (Supplementary Note 12) The delivery support device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the operation detection means detects the operation of unloading the ordered items from the loading platform by detecting a decrease in weight of the items contained in the container.

[0143] (Supplementary Note 13) The delivery support device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the operation detection means detects the operation of unloading the ordered items from the loading platform by a temperature rise inside the container.

[0144] (Supplementary Note 14) The delivery support device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13, further comprising a recording means for recording that the ordered items loaded at the loading location where the unloading operation was detected have been unloaded.

[0145] (Supplementary Note 15) The delivery support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 14, wherein the notification means instructs output of a sound notifying that there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected.

[0146] (Supplementary Note 16) The delivery support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 15, wherein the operation detection means detects the unloading operation using an image of the loading location.

[0147] (Supplementary Note 17) The delivery support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 16, wherein the detection means detects the start of unloading when a door of a loading platform of the delivery vehicle is opened.

[0148] (Supplementary Note 18) The delivery support device according to Supplementary Note 7 or 8, wherein the receiving means receives the unloading completion notification when a door of a loading platform of the delivery vehicle is closed.

[0149] (Supplementary Note 19) A delivery assistance method comprising: identifying a delivery destination to which a delivery truck will next deliver; acquiring product information for the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination; identifying a loading location for the ordered items on the bed of the delivery truck based on the product information; detecting the start of unloading of the ordered items; after detecting the start of unloading, detecting the action of unloading the ordered items at each loading location; and notifying a delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading action is not detected.

[0150] (Appendix 20) A recording medium storing a program for executing the following processes: identifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck; acquiring product information for the ordered products to be delivered to the delivery destination; identifying a loading location for the ordered products on the delivery truck's loading platform based on the product information; detecting the start of unloading of the ordered products; detecting the action of unloading the ordered products at each loading location after detecting the start of unloading; and notifying a delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading action is not detected.

[0151] (Appendix 21) A program that executes the following process: identifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck; acquiring product information for the ordered items to be delivered to the destination; identifying the loading locations for the ordered items on the delivery truck's loading platform based on the product information; detecting the start of unloading of the ordered items; after detecting the start of unloading, detecting the action of unloading the ordered items at each loading location; and notifying the delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading action is not detected.

[0152] Some or all of the configurations described in Supplementary Notes 2-18, which are dependent on Supplementary Note 1, may also be dependent on Supplementary Notes 19-21 in the same dependency relationship as Supplementary Note 2-18. Not limited to Supplementary Notes 1, 19-21, but also to various hardware, software, various recording devices for recording software, or systems, some or all of the configurations described as Supplements may be made dependent on each other within the scope of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0153] 10, 20 Delivery support device 101 Delivery destination specification unit 102 Acquisition unit 103 Loading location specification unit 104 Detection unit 105 Motion detection unit 106 Notification unit 107 Reception unit 108 Recording unit 201 Processor 202 RAM 203 ROM 204 Storage device 205 Input / output interface 206 Communication interface 207 Bus 90 Delivery person terminal 91 Delivery company server 92 Database 93 Container sensor 94 Camera 95 Audio output device 96 Light

Claims

1. A delivery support device comprising: a delivery destination specifying means for specifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck; an acquisition means for acquiring product information for ordered products to be delivered to the delivery destination; a loading location specifying means for specifying a loading location for the ordered products on the platform of the delivery truck based on the product information; a detection means for detecting the start of unloading of the ordered products; an action detection means for detecting the action of unloading the ordered products at each loading location after detecting the start of unloading; and a notification means for notifying a delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading action is not detected.

2. The delivery assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the unloading operation includes an operation in which the delivery person opens a container containing the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination.

3. The delivery assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the operation detection means detects the operation of opening the container using a sensor installed on the container.

4. A delivery support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ordered items are loaded on the loading platform by category, and the loading location identification means identifies the loading location on the loading platform for the ordered items based on the product information including the category of the ordered items.

5. A delivery support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the notification means instructs a light corresponding to a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected to turn on when there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected.

6. The delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the notification means, when detecting the start of unloading, instructs the light corresponding to the loading location of the ordered items to turn on, and when the unloading operation is detected, instructs the light corresponding to the loading location where the unloading operation was detected to turn off.

7. A delivery support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a receiving means for receiving at least one of an unloading completion notice indicating that unloading of the ordered items has been completed and a delivery completion notice indicating that delivery of the ordered items to the delivery destination has been completed, wherein the notifying means notifies the delivery person when receiving the unloading completion notice or the delivery completion notice if there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected.

8. The delivery support device according to claim 7, wherein when the notification means receives the unloading completion notification or the delivery completion notification, if there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected, the notification means instructs a light corresponding to the loading location where the unloading operation is not detected to flash.

9. The delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the operation detection means detects the unloading operation at the loading location that is at least a predetermined distance away from the door of the loading platform.

10. The delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the action detection means detects the action of unloading at the loading location where the ordered products that are likely to be forgotten to be unloaded are loaded.

11. The delivery support device according to claim 10, wherein the operation detection means detects the unloading operation for the loading location where the number of loaded ordered products is one.

12. The delivery support device according to claim 2, wherein said motion detection means detects the motion of unloading the ordered items from said loading platform by detecting a decrease in the weight of the items contained in said container.

13. The delivery support device according to claim 2, wherein the action detection means detects the action of unloading the ordered items from the loading platform by detecting a temperature rise inside the container.

14. The delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a recording means for recording that the ordered items loaded at the loading location where the unloading action was detected have been unloaded.

15. The delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the notification means instructs the output of a sound notifying that there is a loading location where the unloading operation is not detected.

16. A delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the action detection means detects the unloading action using an image of the loading location.

17. The delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the detection means detects the start of unloading when a door of the loading platform is opened.

18. The delivery support device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the receiving means receives the notification of completion of unloading when the door of the loading platform is closed.

19. A delivery assistance method comprising: identifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck; acquiring product information for the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination; identifying a loading location for the ordered items on the delivery truck's loading platform based on the product information; detecting the start of unloading of the ordered items; after detecting the start of unloading, detecting the action of unloading the ordered items at each loading location; and notifying a delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading action is not detected.

20. A recording medium storing a program for executing the following processes: identifying the next delivery destination for a delivery truck; acquiring product information for the ordered items to be delivered to the destination; identifying the loading locations for the ordered items on the delivery truck's loading platform based on the product information; detecting the start of unloading of the ordered items; after detecting the start of unloading, detecting the action of unloading the ordered items at each loading location; and notifying a delivery person if there is a loading location where the unloading action is not detected.

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