JP7430583B2 - Oil distribution management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oil and fat distribution management system for delivering oil and fat stored in a tank to a delivery destination using a delivery vehicle.

Conventionally, there has been a demand for the construction of a delivery system for efficiently performing cargo delivery operations. For example, in Patent Document 1, a delivery truck loaded with cargo shipped from a distribution center is called a first delivery truck. A second delivery truck is a delivery truck that patrols districts in an area managed by a delivery company, a third delivery truck is a delivery truck that goes around other districts, and a delivery truck that goes around districts in a different region managed by a delivery company. Disclosed is a delivery system for increasing the efficiency of delivering cargo to customers by sequentially repeating reloading of cargo between the first to fourth delivery trucks, with the fourth truck serving as the fourth truck.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-1974

Improving delivery efficiency is a common issue in the delivery of various packages. For example, it is envisioned that the delivery system described in Patent Document 1 may be applied to oil and fat delivery operations. However, when shipping oils and fats, it is necessary to consider different circumstances from those for other cargo. When delivering liquids such as oils and fats, the oils and fats are stored in a container (tank) that can hold the liquid and transported. In this case, a delivery vehicle equipped with a tank is used.

Tanks mounted on delivery vehicles that deliver oils and fats to customers are emptied, but in principle, the empty tanks must be cleaned when used for the next delivery operation. Therefore, if the delivery system of Patent Document 1 were to be applied to the delivery of oils and fats, it would be limited to transshipment of the same type of oil, and it would be difficult to achieve efficiency.

In addition, tank cleaning requires at least 1 to 2 days, as it involves co-washing with oil and fat, followed by hot water washing depending on the type of oil, and then drying. The delivery vehicle carrying the tank cannot be operated until the tank has been cleaned and dried. Therefore, there is a problem in applying a delivery system such as that of Patent Document 1, which is designed for the delivery of general cargo, in which the next delivery can be made immediately after delivery, to the delivery of oils and fats.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an oil and fat delivery management system that can efficiently operate delivery vehicles during oil and fat delivery.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an oil delivery management system for delivering oil stored in a tank to a delivery destination using a delivery vehicle, which includes an oil type related to the oil type of the oil. information, order information including oil amount information regarding the order amount of the oil and fat, order date information regarding the order date of the oil and fat, and delivery destination information regarding the delivery destination, the usage status of the tank, and the cleaning status of the tank. a management terminal that manages tank management information regarding the management status of the tank, delivery source information regarding the delivery source where the oil is injected into the tank, and vehicle management information regarding the management status of the vehicle including the usage status of the vehicle. , a delivery terminal that respectively manages delivery center information regarding a delivery center that manages the vehicle and stores the tank, and a management server that is connected to each of the management terminal and the delivery terminal via a communication network. Based on the order information, the tank management information, and the delivery source information transmitted from the management terminal, and the vehicle management information and the delivery center information transmitted from the delivery terminal, the management server When the information regarding the delivery schedule of the vehicle created by the delivery management information is stored as delivery management information and the delivery completion information regarding the completion of delivery of the oil and fat to the delivery destination is acquired, the unprocessed orders in the order information are stored as delivery management information. It is determined whether the tank can be reused, and if it is determined that the tank can be reused , the delivery source information regarding the new delivery of the oil or fat is determined. If it is determined that the tank cannot be reused, the delivery management information is updated based on information regarding a distribution center for transshipping the tank to a cleaned tank that has been cleaned. The method is characterized in that the delivery management information is updated.

According to the present invention, delivery vehicles can be operated efficiently in delivering oils and fats. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be made clear by the following description of the embodiments.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration example of an oil and fat delivery management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the oil and fat delivery management system according to the first embodiment. It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the first half of the processing of the oil and fat distribution management system according to the first embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the latter half process in the case where a tank can be reused among the processes of the oil and fat distribution management system according to the first embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the latter half process in the case where a tank cannot be reused among the processes of the oil and fat delivery management system according to the first embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows another example of the latter half process in the case where a tank cannot be reused among the processes of the oil and fat distribution management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the movement of a vehicle managed by the oil delivery management system according to the first embodiment. It is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of an oil and fat delivery management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the process of the fats and oils delivery management system based on 2nd Embodiment. It is an explanatory view explaining an example of movement of alpha vehicles and beta vehicles managed by the fats and oils delivery management system concerning a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a management server.

The oil delivery management system according to each embodiment of the present invention is a system for delivering liquid oil to a delivery destination using a delivery vehicle equipped with a removable tank. Here, "oils and fats" include, for example, vegetable oils and fats such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, palm oil, and linseed oil; animal fats and oils such as beef tallow, pork fat, and chicken oil; and synthetic oils and fats such as medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides. , and processed oils and fats that have been subjected to one or more processes selected from the group consisting of transesterification, hydrogenation, and fractionation, and are used for cooking such as fried foods and grilled foods, and for processing such as mayonnaise. It is also used for industrial applications such as ink.

<First embodiment>
An oil and fat distribution management system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

(Overall configuration of oil distribution management system 1)
First, the overall configuration of the oil and fat delivery management system 1 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of an oil and fat delivery management system 1 according to the first embodiment.

The oil and fat distribution management system 1 is installed in a management center that is one of the bases of an oil and fat manufacturer that is responsible for manufacturing oil and fats and managing delivery based on oil and fat orders, for example, and is used to check order status and delivery status. a management center terminal 21 as a management terminal that is capable of handling data, a management server 22 that is installed within the management center or at a base that can communicate via communication network N and performs specific information processing for orders, and a management server 22 that stores oil and fat. A delivery center terminal 23 is provided as a delivery terminal installed at a delivery center which is responsible for storing tanks 30 and managing delivery vehicles 40.

Further, in this embodiment, the vehicle 40 is equipped with an on-vehicle terminal 24 and an attachment/detachment sensor 25 that detects the attachment/detachment state of the tank 30, and the on-vehicle terminal 24 and the attachment/detachment sensor 25 are communicably connected. ing. The in-vehicle terminal 24 may be, for example, a portable tablet-type input/output terminal, or may be an input/output terminal installed in the vehicle 40 in advance. Further, the attachment/detachment sensor 25 includes, for example, a switch capable of outputting a signal at the timing of attachment/detachment of the tank 30.

The management center terminal 21, the management server 22, the distribution center terminal 23, and the in-vehicle terminal 24 and detachable sensor 25 provided on the vehicle 40 side, which constitute the oil and fat distribution management system 1, are connected to a communication network N such as an Internet line, for example. are directly or indirectly connected to each other so that they can communicate information.

(Hardware configuration of management server 22)
Here, the hardware configuration of the management server 22 will be explained with reference to FIG. 11.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 22. As shown in FIG.

The management server 22 is an information processing device that has the same functions as a general computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 2201, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 2202, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 2203, and an HDD (Hard). A disk drive) 2204 and an I/F (interface) 2205 are connected to each other via a common bus 2206.

Further, the I/F 2205 is a connection interface with the communication network N, and includes a communication module 2207 that realizes information communication with other devices (such as the distribution center terminal 23), an input device 2208 such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a user interface. A display 2209 for displaying , etc. is connected.

The CPU 2201 is a calculation means and controls the entire operation of the management server 22. The RAM 2202 is a volatile storage medium in which information can be read and written at high speed, and is used as a work area when the CPU 2201 processes image information. The ROM 2203 is a read-only nonvolatile storage medium, and stores programs such as firmware. The HDD 2204 is a nonvolatile storage medium that can read and write information and has a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System) and control programs and application programs for executing various information processes described below. .

Note that the HDD 2204 also has a database, which will be described later, so it can be replaced with an SSD (Solid State Drive) or the like, regardless of the type of device, as long as it realizes information storage and management functions. It is a composition.

The I/F 2205 connects and controls the common bus 2206 and various hardware, networks, and the like.

The management server 22 having the above hardware configuration realizes a processing function by using the arithmetic function provided by the CPU 2201 to process the control program stored in the ROM 2203 and the control program and application program loaded into the RAM 2202 from a storage medium such as the HDD 2204. It is an information processing device. By executing these information processes, a software control unit including various functional modules of the management server 22 is configured. A combination of the software control unit configured in this manner and hardware resources including the configuration described above constitutes a functional block that realizes the functions of the management server 22 according to the present embodiment.

Note that the management center terminal 21 and the distribution center terminal 23 also have the same hardware configuration as the management server 22. The in-vehicle terminal 24 also includes a hardware configuration similar to that of the management server 22, and further includes a configuration compatible with a GPS (Global Positioning System) that can specify a position. Each of these configurations is a functional block that realizes the functions of the management center terminal 21, the distribution center terminal 23, and the in-vehicle terminal 24 according to the present embodiment by executing the control program and application program stored in the storage medium provided respectively. is configured.

(Functional configuration of oil distribution management system 1)
Next, the functional configuration of the oil and fat distribution management system 1 will be explained with reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the oil and fat distribution management system 1 according to the first embodiment.

The management center terminal 21 includes a communication section 210, a reception section 211, a selection section 212, a storage section 212A, a transmission section 213, and a display section 214.

The receiving unit 211 receives oil type information regarding the type of oil and fat, oil amount information regarding the order amount of the oil and fat, order date information regarding the order date of the oil and fat, customer information as delivery requester information regarding the oil and fat delivery requester, and customer information regarding the oil and fat delivery requester. Order information including delivery destination information regarding the location of the delivery destination, and tank management information regarding the management status of the tank including the usage status of the tank 30 and the cleaning status of the tank 30 are received.

The receiving unit 211 receives data directly input to the management center terminal 21 as order information and tank management information, and also receives data sent from another terminal in a remote location to the management center terminal 21 via the communication network N. The data may be received as order information or tank management information.

"Oil type information" is information regarding the type of oil or fat, such as rapeseed oil or beef tallow, for example. In principle, the tank 30 after delivering a certain type of oil and fat cannot store oil again unless the tank 30 is once cleaned to wash away the delivered oil and fat. However, for example, if the oils and fats related to the previous delivery and the oils and fats related to the next delivery are the same type, that is, if the type of delivered oil and fat is the same as the type of oil and fat to be delivered next, then the delivery In some cases, it may be possible to omit cleaning of the used tank 30 and reuse it for the next delivery. Therefore, when determining whether or not cleaning of the tank 30 is necessary, that is, whether or not the tank 30 can be reused, information regarding the type of fats and oils to be delivered is required.

"Customer information" is information regarding the name of the customer as a delivery requester who requested delivery of oils and fats, and the desired delivery date of the ordered oils and fats. "Delivery destination information" is, for example, information regarding the location to which the ordered fats and oils are to be actually delivered, such as a specific store under the jurisdiction of the customer.

In addition to the order information, the receiving unit 211 also receives information regarding the completion of delivery of oil and fats and information regarding whether or not the tank 30 can be reused. Both of these delivery completion information and tank reusability information are transmitted from the management server 22.

Based on the order information received by the receiving unit 211, the selecting unit 212 selects a factory that can inject the oil and fat related to the current order into the tank 30 from the factory database stored in the storage unit 212A. Select.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that a manufacturer that manufactures and manages oils and fats has a plurality of factories that manufacture and manage several different types of oils and fats, and each of these multiple factories can serve as a delivery source of oils and fats. However, the delivery source is not limited to a specific manufacturer, and the delivery source may be a factory managed by multiple different manufacturers. The delivery source is specified for each order. Note that if there are multiple factories that manufacture and manage the oils and fats related to the current order, the selection unit 212 selects the most suitable factory as the delivery source based on customer information and delivery destination information.

The transmitter 213 transmits the order information received by the receiver 211 and the information (for example, address) regarding the location of the factory selected by the selector 212 to the management server 22 as confirmed order information. The transmitter 213 also transmits the tank management information received by the receiver 211 and the information regarding the factory selected by the selector 212 to the management server 22 .

The display unit 214 displays the order information, tank management information, delivery completion information, tank reusability information, and information regarding the factory selected by the selection unit 212 received by the reception unit 211 on the management center terminal 21, respectively. Display it on a monitor, etc.

The management server 22 includes a communication section 220, a reception section 221, a DB update section 222, a DB storage section 222A, a determination section 223, and a transmission section 224. Note that "DB" is an abbreviation for "database", and in the following description, "database" may be referred to as "DB".

The receiving unit 221 receives order information transmitted from the management center terminal 21 , information regarding inquiry results transmitted from the distribution center terminal 23 , information regarding the current position of the vehicle 40 transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal 24 , and information transmitted from the attachment/detachment sensor 25 . The information regarding the attachment/detachment state of the tank 30 is received. Note that the attachment/detachment sensor 25 may transmit information via the vehicle-mounted terminal 24.

The DB storage unit 222A stores an order DB, a cargo DB, and a delivery management DB, and these order DB, cargo DB, and delivery management DB are all updated by the DB updating unit 222.

The "order DB" is a database constructed based on the order information received from the management center terminal 21, and is created when the management server 22 receives confirmed order information from the management center terminal 21, or when the order information is delivered from the in-vehicle terminal 24. Updated when information regarding completion is received.

The “cargo DB” is a database constructed based on information regarding the cargo (general cargo including oil and fat stored in the tank 30) delivered by the vehicle 40, and the management server 22 receives orders confirmed from the management center terminal 21. When information is received, it is updated together with the order DB.

The “delivery management DB” is a database constructed as information regarding vehicle delivery schedules (delivery management information) based on information regarding the order status, the management status of the tank 30, and the management status of the vehicle 40. , when receiving tank management information (usage status and cleaning status of the tank 30) and confirmed order information from the management center terminal 21, information regarding the usage status (vacancy status) of the vehicle 40 from the distribution center terminal 23 (vehicle management information) will be updated when received.

The “delivery schedule” mainly includes order information, tank management information, and delivery source information transmitted from the management center terminal 21, vehicle management information and distribution center information transmitted from the distribution center terminal 23, and vehicle-mounted terminal 24. It is created within the management server 22 based on the current position information transmitted from the server and the attachment/detachment information of the tank 30 from the attachment/detachment sensor 25.

Note that, in creating the delivery schedule, the current position information transmitted from the on-vehicle terminal 24 and the attachment/detachment information of the tank 30 from the attachment/detachment sensor 25 are not essential. For example, the vehicle 40 that has completed the delivery returns to the distribution center and inputs information regarding the completion of delivery into the distribution center terminal 23, and that information is transmitted to the management server 22, so that the management server 22 receives information regarding the completion of the delivery of the vehicle 40. It is possible to create a delivery schedule based on the information.

The determining unit 223 determines whether the vehicle 40 has arrived at a destination such as a factory, a delivery destination, or a distribution center, based on the current position information transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal 24.

Further, the determination unit 223 determines whether or not the used tank 30 can be reused as is for the next delivery, based on the unprocessed order information acquired from the order DB updated after delivery completion. judge. In this case, the determination unit 223 determines that a delivery destination that is not far from the current location of the vehicle 40 is a candidate for the next delivery location based on the current location information transmitted from the on-vehicle terminal 24, and then It is even better to determine whether or not 30 items can be reused.

The transmitter 224 transmits tank reusability information and delivery completion information to the management center terminal 21 based on the result determined by the determiner 223 . Further, the transmitting unit 224 transmits a signal related to an inquiry about information regarding the vehicle 40 to the distribution center terminal 23. Further, the transmitter 224 transmits a signal to the in-vehicle terminal 24 instructing the destination (factory, delivery destination, and distribution center) to which the vehicle 40 should go.

The distribution center terminal 23 includes a communication section 230, a reception section 231, a search section 232, a transmission section 233, and a display section 234.

The receiving unit 231 receives a signal related to an inquiry about information regarding the vehicle 40 transmitted from the management server 22 . The search unit 232 searches the usage status of the vehicle 40 at each distribution center within its jurisdiction based on the information regarding the inquiry regarding the availability status of the vehicle 40 received by the receiving unit 231 . The transmitter 233 transmits the search results obtained by the searcher 232 to the management server 22 . The display unit 234 displays the current status of the tanks 30 and managed vehicles 40 stored at each distribution center on the monitor of the distribution center terminal 23 or the like.

The in-vehicle terminal 24 includes a communication section 240, a reception section 241, a GPS 242, a transmission section 243, and a display section 244.

The receiving unit 241 receives instruction information regarding the destination transmitted from the management server 22. GPS 242 acquires the current position of vehicle 40. The transmitter 243 transmits the current position information acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22. Further, the transmitter 243 transmits a signal transmitted by the attachment/detachment sensor 25 to the management server 22 . The display unit 244 displays the information regarding the location of the destination received by the receiving unit 241, the current position acquired by the GPS 242, the distance to the destination, etc. on the monitor of the in-vehicle terminal 24.

Note that the in-vehicle terminal 24 is also equipped with an interface function with the attachment/detachment sensor 25, receives a signal from the attachment/detachment sensor 25 via the interface, and sends the attachment/detachment signal to the management server 22 via the transmitter 243 as described above. The signal from the sensor 25 is transmitted. Note that the signal from the attachment/detachment sensor 25 includes information that distinguishes whether the tank 30 is attached to the vehicle 40 in a predetermined manner or removed.

The communication units 210, 220, 230, and 240 included in the management center terminal 21, the management server 22, the distribution center terminal 23, and the in-vehicle terminal 24 all have an interface for mutually communicating information via the communication network N. Provide functionality including:

(Processing in oil delivery management system 1)
Next, the flow of processing executed in the oil and fat distribution management system 1 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

Note that the following explanation assumes a situation in which the entity that manages the management center terminal 21 and the management server 22 and the entity that manages the distribution center terminal 23 are different entities. The entity that manages the management center terminal 21 and the management server 22 and the entity that manages the distribution center terminal 23 may be the same entity. Furthermore, the management center terminal 21 and the management server 22 may be located at the same base and may be configured to provide functions using the same hardware.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the first half of the processing of the oil and fat delivery management system 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the latter half of the process in the case where the tank 30 can be reused among the processes of the oil and fat delivery management system 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the latter half of the process in the case where the tank 30 cannot be reused among the processes of the oil and fat delivery management system 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the latter half of the process in the case where the tank 30 cannot be reused among the processes of the oil and fat delivery management system 1 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the oil and fat distribution management system 1 according to the present embodiment, the management center terminal 21 first selects a factory to inject oil and fat based on received order information, and adds information related to factory selection to the order information. Connect information. This is referred to as "confirmation of order" or "confirmation of order." A signal related to the order confirmation, that is, information regarding the confirmed order is transmitted to the management server 22 (step S201).

Next, the management server 22 updates the order DB and cargo DB, respectively, based on the information transmitted in step S201 (steps S202, S203). Subsequently, the management server 22 queries the distribution center terminal 23 for information regarding the vacant vehicles 40 (step S204).

In response to the inquiry from the management server 22 in step S204, the distribution center terminal 23 searches for a distribution center where the vacant vehicle 40 is managed, and transmits the result as an inquiry result to the management server 22 (step S204). S205). Furthermore, the management center terminal 21 transmits tank management information regarding the management status of the tank 30 to the management server 22 (step S205A).

The management server 22 updates the delivery management DB based on the inquiry result transmitted in step S205 and the tank management information transmitted in step S205A (step S206). Subsequently, the management server 22 transmits destination information including address information of the factory to be the destination to the in-vehicle terminal 24 of the vehicle 40 searched in step S205 (step S207).

The in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S208). The management server 22 compares the information regarding the current position of the vehicle 40 with the destination information transmitted in step S207. In this comparison process, if it is determined that the current position of the vehicle 40 has reached a position corresponding to the factory that is the destination, the management server 22 sends a delivery message containing address information of the destination to the on-vehicle terminal 24. The destination information is transmitted (step S209).

Note that while the processing in steps S208 and S209 is being executed, oil and fat, which is the object to be delivered, is injected into the tank 30 mounted on the vehicle 40. When the injection of oil and fat into the tank 30 is completed, step S209 is executed and delivery destination information is transmitted to the on-vehicle terminal 24. After that, similarly to step S208, the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 is transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal 24 to the management server 22 (step S210).

The management server 22 compares the information regarding the current location of the vehicle 40 transmitted in step S210 with the delivery destination information transmitted in step S209, and determines that the current location of the vehicle 40 has reached a location corresponding to the delivery destination. If it is determined, information regarding delivery completion of the order related to step S201 is transmitted to the management center terminal 21 (step S211), and information indicating the status of the order stored in the order DB is changed to "delivery completed". (Step S212).

Note that in step S211, information regarding the completion of delivery of the order related to step S201 may be transmitted to the management center terminal 21 based on information regarding the completion of delivery transmitted from the distribution center terminal 23. The same applies to the steps for transmitting information regarding completion of delivery.

Subsequently, the management server 22 acquires information regarding unprocessed orders from the order DB updated in step S212 (step S213), and it is possible to reuse the used tank 30 in the unprocessed orders. It is determined whether or not this is the case, and the result is transmitted to the management center terminal 21 (step S214).

The management center terminal 21 finalizes the order for the next delivery based on the determination result transmitted in step S214, and transmits information regarding the confirmed order to the management server 22 (step S215). The management server 22 updates the order DB and cargo DB, respectively, based on the information transmitted in step S215 (steps S216 and S217).

As shown in FIG. 4, if the management server 22 determines that the used tank 30 can be reused as is, that is, the previous delivery is included in the unprocessed order acquired in step S213. When there is an order for the same type of oil and fat as the oil and fat related to , the management server 22 updates the delivery management DB (step S218), and then instructs the in-vehicle terminal 24 which factory to go to next (step S219). . Therefore, the vehicle 40 will move directly from the delivery destination for the previous order to the factory for injecting the oil and fat for the next order.

Similarly to step S208, the in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S220), and the management server 22 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 transmitted in step S220. When the location is the specified factory location, the next delivery destination is instructed to the in-vehicle terminal 24, similarly to step S209 (step S221).

Then, similarly to step S220, the in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S222), and the management server 22 When the current location of the delivery destination becomes the designated delivery destination, information regarding the completion of delivery of the order related to step S215 is transmitted to the management center terminal 21 (step S223).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, if the management server 22 determines that it is impossible to reuse the used tank 30 as it is (for example, if there is a previous order in the unprocessed order acquired in step S213), Even if there is no order for the same type of oil and fat as the oil and fat related to the previous delivery, or even if there is an order for the same type of oil and fat as the oil and fat related to the previous delivery among the unprocessed orders acquired in step S213, the tank 30 is not cleaned. (for example, when it is necessary to rotate the tank 30), the management server 22 queries the management center terminal 21 for information regarding the cleaned tank 30 (step S224).

In response to the inquiry from the management server 22 in step S224, the management center terminal 21 searches for a distribution center where the cleaned empty tank 30 is stored, and sends the search result to the management server 22 as an inquiry result. (Step S225).

The management server 22 updates the delivery management DB based on the inquiry result sent in step S225 (step S226). Subsequently, the management server 22 instructs the in-vehicle terminal 24 to move to the distribution center where the cleaned tank 30 is stored (step S227).

The in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S228), and when this current position corresponds to the location of the distribution center designated as the destination, , the tank 30 is removed from the vehicle 40. When the tank 30 is removed from the vehicle 40, a signal regarding the removal of the used tank 30 is transmitted from the attachment/detachment sensor 25 to the management server 22 (step S229).

Subsequently, the cleaned tank 30 is attached to the vehicle 40. As a result, a signal regarding the installation of the cleaned tank 30 in the vehicle 40 is transmitted from the attachment/detachment sensor 25 to the management server 22 (step S230). Thereby, the management server 22 can acquire information that the reloading from the used tank 30 to the cleaned tank 30 in the vehicle 40 has been completed.

Further, the management server 22 uses the reception of a signal regarding the removal of the used tank 30 as a trigger, and executes in parallel a process for managing the reusable time for the used tank 30 related to the signal. A rest period is set for the used tank 30, which requires cleaning and drying. Therefore, the management server 22 monitors the elapsed time after receiving the signal regarding removal for each used tank 30, and when the elapsed time exceeds the suspension period, the management server 22 manages the used tank 30 as having become reusable.

The management server 22 then instructs the in-vehicle terminal 24 to which factory to go to next (step S231). At this factory, for example, a different type of oil and fat from the oil and fat related to the previous delivery is injected into the cleaned tank 30.

Similarly to step S208, the in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S232), and the management server 22 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 transmitted in step S232. When the location is the specified factory location, the next delivery destination is instructed to the in-vehicle terminal 24, similarly to step S209 (step S233).

Then, similarly to step S232, the in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S234). When the current location of the delivery destination becomes the designated delivery destination, information regarding the completion of delivery of the order related to step S215 is transmitted to the management center terminal 21 (step S235).

Note that, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, among the unprocessed orders acquired in step S213, there is no order that requires delivery using the tank 30 (or there is no order that requires delivery using the tank 30 (or there is no order that requires delivery using the tank 30) If the management server 22 determines that it is impossible to reuse the used tank 30 as is, such as when there is no order for Information is acquired from the distribution center terminal 23 (step S236), and the cargo DB and delivery management DB are updated (steps S237, 238). Note that "general cargo" refers to cargo that does not need to be stored in the tank 30 and delivered. This includes, for example, fats and oils stored in cans and cooking oil in bottles for home sale.

Subsequently, the management server 22 instructs the in-vehicle terminal 24 about the distribution center where the general cargo related to the confirmed order is managed (step S239). The in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S240), and when this current position corresponds to the designated delivery center location, the detachable sensor 25 then transmits the following information: A signal regarding the removal of the used tank 30 is transmitted to the management server 22 (step S241). Subsequently, the attachment/detachment sensor 25 transmits a signal regarding the installation of the general cargo container to the vehicle 40 to the management server 22 (step S242). Thereby, the management server 22 can acquire information indicating that the transshipment from the used tank 30 to the general cargo container in the vehicle 40 has been completed.

The management server 22 then instructs the on-vehicle terminal 24 about the delivery destination of the general cargo loaded into the general cargo container (step S243). The in-vehicle terminal 24 transmits the current position of the vehicle 40 acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S244), and the management server 22 carries out the delivery indicated by the current position of the vehicle 40 transmitted in step S244. If the location has been reached, information regarding the completion of delivery of the order related to step S215 is transmitted to the management center terminal 21 (step S245).

(Movement of vehicle 40)
Next, an example of the movement of the vehicle 40 managed by the oil delivery management system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the vehicle 40 managed by the oil delivery management system 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 7, the empty tank 30 that has been cleaned is shown in white, the tank 30 in which oil is stored is shown in hatching, and the empty tank 30 that has been used is shown in sand.

First, the vehicle 40 managed by the X distribution center is loaded with a cleaned empty tank 30X, which is also managed by the X distribution center, and moves to the delivery source A factory for the first delivery.

Next, oil OX is injected into the cleaned empty tank 30X at factory A, and the vehicle 40 loaded with oil OX moves to customer P, which is the delivery destination for the first delivery. Then, the vehicle 40 delivers the oil and fat OX to the P customer, and moves to the Y distribution center located near the P customer with the empty used tank 30X loaded thereon.

When the vehicle 40 arrives at the Y distribution center, the used tank 30X is removed from the vehicle 40, sent to cleaning work, and reloaded into a new cleaned and empty tank 30Y. The vehicle 40 carrying the new tank 30Y moves to the delivery source factory B for the second delivery. Note that Factory B is located near the Y distribution center.

Next, oil OY is injected into the cleaned empty tank 30Y at factory B, and the vehicle 40 loaded with oil OY moves to customer Q, which is the delivery destination for the second delivery. Then, the vehicle 40 delivers the fats and oils OY to the Q customer, and moves to the Z distribution center located near the Q customer with the empty used tank 30Y loaded thereon.

When the vehicle 40 arrives at the Z distribution center, the used tank 30Y is removed from the vehicle 40, sent to cleaning work, and reloaded into a general cargo container. The vehicle 40 loaded with a container for general cargo delivers general cargo for the third time.

In this manner, in the fats and oils delivery management system 1, the vehicle 40 that has finished delivering the fats and oils OX to customer P does not return to the It heads to the center and is transferred from the used tank 30X to the cleaned tank 30Y at the Y distribution center. As a result, even if the next delivery order is for a different type of oil OY than the oil OX delivered to customer P, the vehicle 40 can return to the X distribution center and wait for the cleaning work of the used tank 30X. This makes it possible to continue with the next delivery operation.

Furthermore, when the vehicle 40 finishes delivering oils and fats OY to customer Q, if there is no request for the next delivery of oils and fats, and on the other hand, there is a request for delivery of general cargo near the current location of the vehicle 40, The vehicle 40 does not return to the Y distribution center, but heads to the Z distribution center located near the Q customer, and is transferred from the used tank 30Y to a general cargo container at the Z distribution center. That is, the vehicle 40 can also handle general cargo delivery work when there is no oil delivery service using the tank 30.

In principle, when delivering oils and fats, there is work to clean the tank 30 that stores oil and fats, and if the tank 30 is integrated with the vehicle 40, the vehicle 40 is not ready for the next delivery until the cleaning work of the tank 30 is completed. can't do it. However, by providing a vehicle 40 with a removable tank 30 and by sharing and reusing multiple tanks 30 at multiple distribution centers, the vehicle 40 can be efficiently cleaned without having to wait while the tank 30 is being cleaned. It can be operated on a regular basis.

<Second embodiment>
Next, an oil and fat distribution management system 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.

FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of an oil and fat distribution management system 1A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing of the oil and fat delivery management system 1A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the α vehicle 40A and the β vehicle 40B managed by the oil delivery management system 1A according to the second embodiment. In FIGS. 8 to 10, the same components as those described for the oil and fat distribution management system 1 according to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the oil and fat distribution management system 1A according to the present embodiment includes a management center terminal 21, a management server 22, a distribution center terminal 23, an α in-vehicle terminal 24A mounted on an α vehicle 40A, an α It includes an α attachment/detachment sensor 25A that detects the attachment/detachment state of the tank 30A with respect to the vehicle 40A, a β onboard terminal 24B mounted on the β vehicle 40B, and a β attachment/detachment sensor 25B that detects the attachment/detachment state of the tank 30B with respect to the β vehicle 40B. .

As shown in FIG. 10, for example, the α vehicle 40A is a vehicle that operates within a pre-assigned α area, and the β vehicle 40B is a vehicle that operates within a pre-assigned β area. The α area and the β area are different operation areas, and the α vehicle 40A cannot operate within the β area, while the β vehicle 40B cannot operate within the α area.

For example, the management server 22 manages area information so as not to cause the α vehicle 40A to execute delivery processing based on order information whose delivery destination is within the β area. The management server 22 manages the allocation of order information that can be delivered based on the area information. The same applies to the delivery process within the α area for the β vehicle 40B. Note that in this embodiment, a case will be described in which two adjacent areas are involved; however, the number of areas and the positional relationship are not limited to these.

From the above, even if the α vehicle 40A operating in the α area has completed delivery to customer P and the oil and fat related to the next order is the same type as the previous oil and fat and the tank 30A can be reused. , when the next delivery destination is within the β area, the α vehicle 40A cannot perform the delivery service (indicated by an x mark in FIG. 10). In this way, by managing the delivery vehicles 40A and 40B for each area, it is possible to avoid long hours of driving by the driver.

In such a case, as shown in FIG. 9, the management server 22 queries the distribution center terminal 23 for information regarding the β vehicle 40B that can operate within the β area (step S246). In response to the inquiry in step S246, the delivery center terminal 23 searches for a delivery center where the empty β vehicle 40B that is not in operation is managed, and sends the result as an inquiry result to the management server 22 (step S247).

The management server 22 updates the delivery management DB based on the inquiry result sent in step S247 (step S248). Subsequently, the management server 22 instructs the α vehicle terminal 24A of the α vehicle 40A to specify the searched delivery center (step S249).

The α in-vehicle terminal 24A transmits the current position of the α vehicle 40A acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S250), and when this current position corresponds to the location of the specified distribution center, the α vehicle 40A A signal regarding the removal of the used tank 30A is transmitted from the α attachment/detachment sensor 25A (the α attachment/detachment sensor is indicated by Sα in FIG. 9) to the management server 22 (step S251). Subsequently, the β attachment/detachment sensor 25B (the β attachment/detachment sensor is indicated by Sβ in FIG. 9) attached to the β vehicle 40B sends a signal regarding installation of the used tank 30A removed from the α vehicle 40A to the β vehicle 40B. It is transmitted to the management server 22 (step S252). Thereby, the management server 22 can acquire information that the used tank 30A has been transshipped between the α vehicle 40A and the β vehicle 40B.

Next, the management server 22 instructs the β in-vehicle terminal 24B which factory to go to (step S253). At this factory, the same type of oil and fat as the one delivered by the α vehicle 40A is injected into the used tank 30A.

The β vehicle-mounted terminal 24B transmits the current position of the β vehicle 40B acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S254), and the management server 22 receives an indication of the current position of the β vehicle 40B transmitted in step S254. If the location of the factory has been reached, the delivery destination to which the vehicle should go next is instructed to the β-vehicle terminal 24B (step S255).

Then, the β vehicle-mounted terminal 24B transmits the current position of the β vehicle 40B acquired by the GPS 242 to the management server 22 (step S256), and the management server 22 transmits the current position of the β vehicle 40B transmitted in step S256. When the designated delivery destination is reached, information regarding the completion of delivery of the order related to step S215 is transmitted to the management center terminal 21 (step S257).

As shown in FIG. 10, the α vehicle 40A managed by the X distribution center operates within the α area. After the α vehicle 40A finishes delivering the oils and fats to the P customer, it moves to the Y delivery center where the β vehicle 40B, which is located near the P customer and operates within the β area, is managed.

When the α vehicle 40A arrives at the Y distribution center, the used tank 30X is removed from the α vehicle 40A and transferred to the β vehicle 40B. At this time, in this embodiment, a cleaned empty tank 30Y managed by the Y distribution center is installed in the α vehicle 40A. As a result, the α vehicle 40A can move to the A factory to pick up oil and fat for the next delivery without once returning to the X distribution center.

The β vehicle 40B carrying the used tank 30X moves to the B factory to inject the same type of oil as the one delivered to the P customer. After the β vehicle 40B loaded with oil and fats has completed the delivery at the Q customer, which is the delivery destination, it does not return to the Y distribution center with the used tank 30X still on board, but instead goes to the Z distribution center located near the Q customer. Moving.

When the β vehicle 40B arrives at the Z distribution center, it is transferred from the used tank 30X to a cleaned empty tank 30Z and returns to the Y distribution center. The used tank 30X is sent to the Z distribution center for cleaning work.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of this embodiment with the configuration of other embodiments, and it is also possible to add the configuration of other embodiments to the configuration of this embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace some of the configurations of this embodiment with other configurations.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the management server 22 sends and receives instructions to the vehicle 40 by directly transmitting and receiving signals with the vehicle 40 side (in-vehicle terminal 24 and detachable sensors 25, 25A, 25B). Although the report (delivery completion and attachment/detachment status of the tank 30) is received from the vehicle 40, the present invention is not limited to this, and signals may be exchanged via the distribution center terminal 23. Therefore, the oil and fat distribution management systems 1 and 1A only need to be composed of at least the management center terminal 21, the management server 22, and the distribution center terminal 23, and do not include the on-vehicle terminal 24 and the detachable sensors 25, 25A, and 25B. You can.

Further, for example, various data exchanged between the management center terminal 21, the management server 22, and the distribution center terminal 23 may be managed and analyzed using artificial intelligence (AI).

In addition, for example, information regarding the quality of oils and fats delivered to customers and the delivery of oils and fats (including order information, vehicle management information, delivery date and time information, delivery company information, etc.) can be stored in distributed ledgers used in blockchain technology. It may also be recorded for trace management.

Further, for example, electronic payment or the like may be used for payment related to the delivery of fats and oils to customers.

For example, if a liquid level sensor or the like is attached to a storage tank for oil and fat installed in a customer's facility, and the amount of stored oil becomes less than the standard amount of oil and fat set in advance as a threshold, It is also possible to automatically arrange a vehicle 40 using the oil delivery management system 1, 1A to deliver new oil.

1, 1A: Oil delivery management system 21: Management center terminal (management terminal)
22: Management server 23: Distribution center terminal (delivery terminal)
30, 30A, 30B, 30X, 30Y: Tank 40, 40A, 40B: Vehicle N: Communication network

Claims (2)

An oil and fat distribution management system for delivering oil and fat stored in a tank to a delivery destination using a delivery vehicle, the system comprising:
Order information including oil type information regarding the oil type of the oil, oil amount information regarding the order amount of the oil and fat, order date information regarding the order date of the oil and fat, and delivery destination information regarding the delivery destination, the usage status of the tank, and the a management terminal that manages tank management information regarding the management status of the tank, including the cleaning status of the tank, and delivery source information regarding the delivery source where the oil is injected into the tank;
a delivery terminal that manages vehicle management information regarding the management status of the vehicle, including usage status of the vehicle, and distribution center information regarding a distribution center that manages the vehicle and stores the tank;
A management server connected to each of the management terminal and the delivery terminal via a communication network,
The management server is
The vehicle is created based on the order information, tank management information, and delivery source information transmitted from the management terminal, and the vehicle management information and delivery center information transmitted from the delivery terminal. Stores information regarding delivery schedules as delivery management information,
When delivery completion information regarding completion of delivery of the oil and fat to the delivery destination is obtained, it is determined whether the tank can be reused for the unprocessed order in the order information. ,
If it is determined that the tank can be reused , updating the delivery management information based on the delivery source information related to the new delivery of the oil and fat ,
If it is determined that the tank cannot be reused, the delivery management information is updated based on information regarding a delivery center for reloading the tank to a cleaned tank that has been cleaned. Oil and fat distribution management system. The oil and fat delivery management system according to claim 1,
The management server is
If it is determined that the tank cannot be reused and information regarding general cargo that does not require the use of the tank is obtained, the delivery management information is acquired based on information regarding the distribution center that stores the general cargo. An oil and fat distribution management system characterized by updating.

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