JP7569986B2 - TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, TRANSPORTATION EXECUTION SYSTEM, TRANSPORTATION DEVICE, TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure generally relates to a transportation management system, an information processing system, a transportation execution system, a transportation device, a transportation management method, and a program. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a transportation management system, an information processing system, a transportation execution system, a transportation device, a transportation management method, and a program for realizing the transportation of an object from a departure point to a destination.

Patent Document 1 describes a transportation management system (transport system) that includes a transport vehicle controller that manages transport devices (transport vehicles) and a host controller. The host controller transmits transport information that takes priority into account to the transport vehicle controller. Here, the host controller transmits the information to the transport vehicle controller without reassigning the priority. The transport vehicle controller creates only transport commands up to a specific predetermined priority and transmits them to the transport device. The transport device performs work (transport) according to the received transport commands.

In the transport management system described in Patent Document 1, transport means such as transport devices operate according to transport information sent unilaterally from a host controller. Therefore, in this transport management system, for example, if there is a transport means that is not performing work (i.e., it is empty), there is a possibility that this transport means cannot be effectively used unless new transport information is sent from the host controller.

JP 2002-189520 A

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above reasons, and aims to provide a transportation management system, information processing system, transportation execution system, transportation device, transportation management method, and program that facilitate effective utilization of transportation means.

A transportation management system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a host system and a plurality of lower systems. The host system is an information processing system, and request information instructing transportation of an object from a departure point to a destination is input. Each of the lower systems is an information processing system, and acquires recruitment information based on the request information from the host system. The host system acquires quotation information regarding the transportation of the object from each of the lower systems in response to the recruitment information. The host system selects one or more lower systems from the lower systems as a hiring system based on the quotation information acquired from each of the lower systems. The host system causes the hiring system to carry out the transportation of the object. The recruitment information includes a plurality of recruitment items corresponding to a plurality of divided routes included in a route from the departure point to the destination. The lower system outputs the quotation information to the host system in response to each of the plurality of recruitment items. The host system acquires the quotation information from the lower systems for the corresponding recruitment items in the order of the plurality of divided routes from the departure point to the destination. The upper system determines the contents of the next recruitment item by reflecting the contents of the quotation information obtained from the lower system in the next recruitment item among the multiple recruitment items that corresponds to the quotation information.

An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is used as the host system in the transport management system.

An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is used as a subordinate system in the transportation management system.

A transportation execution system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises the information processing system and a transportation device that transports the transported items.

A conveying device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises the information processing system and a main body on which the information processing system is mounted and which conveys the transported object.

A transportation management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a transportation management method for a transportation management system including a host system that is an information processing system and a plurality of lower systems, each of which is an information processing system. The transportation management method includes a request process, a recruitment process, an estimate process, a selection process, and an execution process. The request process is a process in which the host system accepts an input of request information instructing the transportation of an object from a departure point to a destination. The recruitment process is a process in which the plurality of lower systems acquire recruitment information based on the request information from the host system. The estimate process is a process in which the host system acquires estimate information regarding the transportation of the object from each of the plurality of lower systems in response to the recruitment information. The selection process is a process in which the host system selects one or more lower systems from the plurality of lower systems as a hiring system based on the estimate information acquired from each of the plurality of lower systems. The execution process is a process in which the host system causes the hiring system to carry out the transportation of the object. The recruitment information includes a plurality of recruitment items corresponding to a plurality of divided routes included in a route from the departure point to the destination. The lower system outputs the estimate information to the upper system as a response to each of the plurality of recruitment items. The upper system acquires the estimate information from the lower system for the corresponding recruitment items in the order of the plurality of divided routes from the departure point to the destination. The upper system determines the content of the next recruitment item by reflecting the content of the estimate information acquired from the lower system in the recruitment item next to the recruitment item corresponding to the estimate information among the plurality of recruitment items.

A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the transportation management method.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an overview of a transport management system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the transport management system and the transport execution system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the transport management system. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a transport device that executes operations in the transport management system. 5A and 5B are conceptual diagrams showing an example of a transport route using the transport management system of the embodiment; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the operation of the transport management system. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the operation of the transport management system. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the operation of the transport management system. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the operation of the transport management system. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the operation of the transport management system. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of the operation of the transport management system. FIG. 12 is a system configuration diagram of a transport management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a system configuration diagram of a transport management system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a system configuration diagram of a transport management system according to a modified example of the third embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the transport management system 1, the upper system 2, the lower system 3, and the transport execution system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 11. Each of the upper system 2 and the lower system 3 is configured by an information processing system.

(1) Overview The transportation management system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system for realizing the transportation of an object 92 (see FIG. 5A) from a departure point to a destination. Here, the transportation management system 1 realizes the transportation of the object 92 by causing one or more transportation means to carry out the transportation of the object 92.

The "transport means" in this disclosure refers to a means for transporting the transported object 92, and includes, for example, a moving body driven (piloted) by a person, such as a vehicle (truck), ship, train, or airplane that moves while carrying the transported object 92. The transport means also includes a transport device 4 (see FIG. 2) that performs the transport work of the transported object 92, such as an automated guided vehicle (AGV), a mobile robot, and a drone. The "mobile robot" here refers to, for example, a wheeled, crawler, or legged (including walking) robot.

The transport management system 1 realizes the transport of the transported object 92 from the departure point to the destination point according to the request information D1 given from the command system 100, for example. That is, the request information D1 includes information for identifying the departure point, the destination point, and the transported object 92, such as, for example, transporting the transported object 92 from the departure point, X Company Px1 (see FIG. 5A), to the destination, Y Company Py1 (see FIG. 5A). Based on such request information D1, the transport management system 1 assigns the task of transporting the transported object 92 from the departure point to the destination point to some transport means. In this case, the transport management system 1 outputs an instruction to the transport means to which the task is assigned, for example, to transport the transported object 92 from X Company Px1 to Y Company Py1. As a result, the transport means performs the task of transporting the transported object 92 from the departure point (X Company Px1) to the destination (Y Company Py1) according to the instruction received from the transport management system 1.

The transportation management system 1 according to this embodiment includes a higher-level system 2 and a plurality of lower-level systems 3, as shown in FIG. 1. The higher-level system 2 is a system to which request information D1 is input. The request information D1 is information instructing the transportation of the transported item 92 from the departure point to the destination. Each of the lower-level systems 3 acquires recruitment information D2 based on the request information D1 from the higher-level system 2. In response to the recruitment information D2, the higher-level system 2 acquires estimate information D3 from each of the lower-level systems 3. The estimate information D3 is information related to the transportation of the transported item 92. The higher-level system 2 selects one or more lower-level systems 3 as an adopted system from among the lower-level systems 3 based on the estimate information D3 acquired from each of the lower-level systems 3. The higher-level system 2 causes the adopted system (the one or more lower-level systems 3 selected as the adopted system) to transport the transported item 92.

According to this configuration, the upper system 2 can obtain quotation information D3 from the lower systems 3 by outputting the recruitment information D2 to the lower systems 3. Then, the transportation of the transported object 92 can be realized by one or more lower systems 3 (adopted systems) selected based on the quotation information D3. That is, in order for any lower system 3 to undertake the transportation of a certain transported object 92, the lower system 3 will voluntarily output quotation information D3 in response to the recruitment information D2. On the other hand, the upper system 2 can manage one or more lower systems 3 that transport the transported object 92 by selecting one or more lower systems 3 as adopted systems based on the quotation information D3 from the lower system 3. Therefore, for example, when there is a transport means (such as a transport device 4) that is not performing a task, the lower system 3 can output quotation information D3 to acquire the task to be performed by this transport means, making it easier to effectively utilize this transport means. As a result, the transport management system 1 has the advantage of making it easier to effectively utilize the transport means.

(2) Configuration Hereinafter, the configuration of the transport management system 1 and the transport execution system 10 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

In the following, we will assume that the transportation of the transported object 92 is performed by multiple transport means. Here, the transport means includes a dedicated transport device 4 specialized for transport work in a specific area. The configuration of the transport device 4 exemplified in this embodiment will be described in detail in the section "(2.3) Transport device."

(2.1) Overall Configuration As shown in Fig. 1, the transport management system 1 according to this embodiment includes at least one upper system 2 and multiple lower systems 3. In short, the upper system 2 and the multiple lower systems 3 constitute the transport management system 1.

In this embodiment, each of the upper system 2 and the lower system 3 is composed of an information processing system including a memory and a processor. In other words, the upper system 2 according to this embodiment is an information processing system used as the upper system 2 in the transport management system 1. Similarly, the lower system 3 according to this embodiment is an information processing system used as each of the multiple lower systems 3 in the transport management system 1. That is, the functions of each of the upper system 2 and the lower system 3 are realized by the processor executing the program recorded in the memory of the information processing system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided through a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be recorded and provided on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card. Here, the "upper" of the upper system 2, etc., and the "lower" of the lower system 3, etc., are simply used as labels to distinguish between the two, and do not mean to specify the status and ranking of each.

The upper system 2 and the lower system 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. In this disclosure, "able to communicate" means that information can be exchanged directly or indirectly via a network or a repeater, etc., by an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication. In other words, the upper system 2 and the lower system 3 can exchange information with each other.

The upper system 2 and the lower system 3 are capable of bidirectional communication with each other, allowing both the transmission of information from the upper system 2 to the lower system 3 and the transmission of information from the lower system 3 to the upper system 2. The configuration of each of the upper system 2 and the lower system 3 will be explained in detail in the section "(2.2) Configuration of each part."

Here, in the present disclosure, the multiple lower-level systems 3 may be distinguished from each other by adding identifiers such as [1], [2], [3], ... [N] (N is a natural number) after the reference symbol "3". In addition, as will be described in detail later, when a hierarchical structure is adopted for the multiple lower-level systems 3, the multiple lower-level systems 3 include a first lower-level system 3 and a second lower-level system 3 that is an adjacent lower-level node of the first lower-level system 3. In this case, the multiple lower-level systems 3 may be distinguished from each other by adding identifiers such as [N-1], [N-2], [N-3], ... [N-m] (m is a natural number) after the symbol "3" for the second lower-level system 3 that is an adjacent lower-level node of the first lower-level system 3 [N]. In other words, the correspondence between the second lower-level system 3 and the first lower-level system 3 [N] that is an adjacent upper-level node can be specified by the identifier after the symbol "3". As an example, the adjacent lower nodes of the first lower system 3[3] are represented as the second lower systems 3[3-1], 3[3-2], 3[3-3], ... 3[3-m]. Similarly, the multiple lower systems 3 in the drawing may be distinguished from one another by adding identifiers such as [1], [2], [3], ... [N], [N-1], [N-2], [N-3], ... [N-m].

As described above, the upper system 2 is a system that outputs recruitment information D2 based on request information D1 to the lower system 3 and acquires quotation information D3 from the lower system 3 in response to the recruitment information D2. In other words, when the lower system 3 acquires recruitment information D2 from the upper system 2, it returns quotation information D3 to the upper system 2 in response to the recruitment information D2.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the multiple lower systems 3 is configured to generate quotation information D3 based on the recruitment information D2. The higher-level system 2 is also configured to output instruction information D4 (see FIG. 10) to one or more lower systems 3 as the hiring system selected based on the quotation information D3. Therefore, the lower system 3 transports the transported item 92 by having the transport means (transport device 4, etc.) perform the transport work specified in the instruction information D4 output from the higher-level system 2.

Therefore, in the transportation management system 1, when a task of transporting an item 92 arises, the higher-level system 2 outputs recruitment information D2 to the lower-level system 3, which enables the lower-level system 3 to output quotation information D3 for undertaking the transportation of the item 92. The higher-level system 2 then provides instruction information D4 based on the quotation information D3 from the lower-level system 3, which enables the lower-level system 3 to cause the transportation means to transport the item 92. In short, transportation is realized by a series of processes in which the higher-level system 2 outputs recruitment information D2 to the lower-level system 3, the lower-level system 3 outputs quotation information D3 to the higher-level system 2, and the higher-level system 2 selects a system to be adopted based on the quotation information D3 and outputs instruction information D4.

In other words, according to the transportation management system 1, the higher-level system 2 receives quotation information D3 from multiple lower-level systems 3 for the transportation work of the transported object 92 instructed in the request information D1, and selects a lower-level system 3 to carry out the work based on this quotation information D3. Therefore, if the higher-level system 2 corresponds to the "prime contractor" and the lower-level system 3 corresponds to the "subcontractor," the higher-level system 2, which is the prime contractor, will outsource the work of transportation to the lower-level system 3, which is the subcontractor. Then, the higher-level system 2, which is the prime contractor, can obtain competitive bids from multiple lower-level systems 3, which are subcontractors, and select the lower-level system 3 to which it will actually place an order for the work of transportation.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower system 3 may output an acceptance notification to the higher system 2 indicating the acceptance and/or completion of the transport work. The acceptance notification is a notification indicating that the transport work corresponding to the instruction information D4 has been accepted, that the transport work has been completed, or both. Specifically, when the lower system 3 completes the transport work specified in the instruction information D4 obtained from the higher system 2, it notifies the higher system 2 that the work has been completed. This allows the higher system 2 to manage the status of the transport work in the lower system 3 to which it provided the instruction information D4.

Here, the multiple lower-level systems 3 included in the transport management system 1 adopt a hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. 2. That is, the multiple lower-level systems 3 include a first lower-level system 3[1], 3[2], 3[3], ... 3[N] and at least one second lower-level system 3[3-1], 3[3-2], 3[3-3], ... 3[N-m], with the upper-level system 2 as the top node. The first lower-level system 3 is a lower-level system 3 that is an adjacent lower-level node of the upper-level system 2. The second lower-level system 3 is one or more lower-level systems 3 that are adjacent lower-level nodes of the first lower-level system 3. In other words, the lower-level system 3 located in the top layer (first layer) of the multiple hierarchical lower-level systems 3 is the "first lower-level system", and the lower-level system 3 located in the lower layer (second layer) of the first lower-level system 3 is the "second lower-level system".

In other words, not all of the multiple lower systems 3 are directly connected to the higher-level system 2, but some of the lower systems 3 are connected to the higher-level system 2 via other lower systems 3. In such a hierarchical structure, from the perspective of each of the multiple lower systems 3, the higher-level system 2 side is the "higher side" and the side opposite the higher-level system 2 is the "lower side." From the perspective of each of the multiple lower systems 3, the higher-level node (the higher-level system 2 or another lower system 3) that is directly connected to it is called the "adjacent higher-level node." Similarly, from the perspective of each of the multiple lower systems 3, the lower-level node (another lower system 3) that is directly connected to it is called the "adjacent lower node."

The first lower-level system 3 outputs sub-recruitment information based on recruitment information D2 acquired from the higher-level system 2 to at least one second lower-level system 3. In response to the sub-recruitment information, the first lower-level system 3 acquires sub-quotation information regarding the transportation of the transport item 92 from each of the at least one second lower-level system 3. The first lower-level system 3 selects one or more second lower-level systems 3 as sub-recruited systems from the at least one second lower-level system 3 using the sub-quotation information acquired from each of the at least one second lower-level system 3. The first lower-level system 3 causes the sub-recruited system to transport the transport item 92.

In other words, from the perspective of the higher-level system 2, which is the "prime contractor," the first lower-level system 3 corresponds to a "subcontractor," and the second lower-level system 3 corresponds to a "sub-subcontractor." Therefore, the higher-level system 2, which is the prime contractor, outsources the work of transportation to the first lower-level system 3, which is the subcontractor, and the first lower-level system 3 further outsources the work of transportation to the second lower-level system 3, which is the sub-subcontractor.

Meanwhile, at least one lower-level system 3 used in the transport management system 1, together with one or more transport devices 4, constitutes the transport execution system 10. In other words, the transport execution system 10 according to this embodiment comprises an information processing system as the lower-level system 3, and a transport device 4 that transports the transported object 92. That is, the transport management system 1 is a system for causing the transport means (including the transport device 4) to perform work, whereas the transport execution system 10 is a system for actually performing work with the transport device 4.

In this embodiment, as an example, the lower-level systems 3 and the transport devices 4 that make up the transport execution system 10 have a one-to-one relationship. In other words, one transport device 4 is linked to one lower-level system 3 by mounting one lower-level system 3 on one transport device 4. Hereinafter, the transport device 4 linked to a certain lower-level system 3 is also referred to as the transport device 4 subordinate to this lower-level system 3. The lower-level system 3 can control the subordinate transport device 4 to cause the subordinate transport device 4 to perform transport work.

In this embodiment, of the multiple lower-level systems 3 included in the transport management system 1, only some of the second lower-level systems 3[3-2], 3[4-2], and 3[5-2] are in one-to-one correspondence with the subordinate transport devices 4. In other words, only some of the second lower-level systems 3[3-2], 3[4-2], and 3[5-2], together with their respective subordinate transport devices 4, constitute the transport execution system 10.

In this embodiment, the lower system 3 and the transport device 4 that constitute the transport execution system 10 are integrated. As will be explained in more detail in the section "(2.3) Transport Device", the lower system 3 is mounted on the transport device 4 subordinate to it, thereby being integrated with the transport device 4. In other words, one housing of the transport device 4 contains the components for realizing the functions of the transport device 4 and the components of the lower system 3.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower system 3 acquires status information on the status of the conveying device 4 from the subordinate conveying device 4. The "status" of the conveying device 4 in this disclosure includes, for example, the attributes of the conveying device 4, the presence or absence of an abnormality (failure), whether or not it is working, whether or not the storage battery is being charged, the remaining capacity of the storage battery, the current location, the surrounding conditions, and the accumulated operating time. The "attributes" of the conveying device 4 include, for example, the type of work that the conveying device 4 can perform, the capacity of the conveying device 4 (loading weight, etc.), the model number, identifier, size, and weight of the conveying device 4, etc. Specifically, the conveying device 4 outputs status information to the lower system 3 periodically or irregularly. When outputting status information irregularly, the conveying device 4 outputs status information in response to polling from the lower system 3, for example, or outputs status information when a change occurs in the status of the conveying device 4. Therefore, the lower system 3 can manage the status of the subordinate conveying device 4 by acquiring status information from the subordinate conveying device 4.

In this embodiment, the transport management system 1 includes one upper system 2 and multiple lower systems 3, as shown in FIG. 2. That is, the transport management system 1 includes multiple lower systems 3. These multiple lower systems 3 are capable of acquiring recruitment information D2 from the same upper system 2, and are capable of outputting estimate information D3 to the same upper system 2. That is, the upper system 2 is capable of issuing recruitment information D2 to multiple lower systems 3 and receiving multiple pieces of estimate information D3 from the multiple lower systems 3 in response to a single piece of request information D1 instructing the transport of a certain transport item 92.

In addition, the upper system 2 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to communicate with the command system 100. The command system 100 and the upper system 2 are capable of communicating at least unidirectionally, and information can be transmitted from the command system 100 to the upper system 2.

In this embodiment, the command system 100, like each of the upper system 2 and the lower system 3, is mainly configured as an information processing system including a memory and a processor. That is, the functions of the command system 100 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the information processing system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

The command system 100 outputs request information D1 (see FIG. 1) to the higher-level system 2. When the higher-level system 2 receives the request information D1 from the command system 100, it generates recruitment information D2 based on the request information D1. As will be described in more detail later, in this embodiment, the higher-level system 2 generates multiple pieces of recruitment information D2 based on one piece of request information D1.

(2.2) Configuration of Each Part Next, the configuration of each of the upper system 2 and the lower system 3 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The upper system 2 has an upper interface 21, an upper communication unit 22, a work generation unit 23, an upper memory unit 24, a judgment unit 25, a publication unit 26, and an upper acquisition unit 27. Of these, the work generation unit 23, the upper memory unit 24, the judgment unit 25, the publication unit 26, and the upper acquisition unit 27 are realized as functions of the upper processing unit 20, whose main component is a computer system including a memory and a processor.

The upper interface 21 communicates with the command system 100 directly or indirectly via a network or a repeater, etc. Here, the upper interface 21 is capable of receiving at least the request information D1 (see FIG. 1) transmitted from the command system 100. As the communication method between the upper interface 21 and the command system 100, an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted.

The upper communication unit 22 communicates with the lower system 3 (lower communication unit 31) directly or indirectly via a network or a repeater, etc. Here, the upper communication unit 22 is capable of receiving at least quotation information D3 transmitted from the lower system 3. Furthermore, the upper communication unit 22 is capable of transmitting recruitment information D2 and instruction information D4 to at least the lower system 3. In this embodiment, the quotation information D3 is data contained in an upstream signal transmitted from the lower system 3 to the upper system 2, and the instruction information D4 is data contained in a downstream signal transmitted from the upper system 2 to the lower system 3. As a communication method between the upper communication unit 22 and the lower system 3 (lower communication unit 31), an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted.

The functions of the work generation unit 23, the upper storage unit 24, the determination unit 25, the publication unit 26, and the upper acquisition unit 27 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system constituting the upper processing unit 20. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

The work generation unit 23 generates recruitment information D2 based on the request information D1. The recruitment information D2 is information (data) regarding the content of the transport work, and is, for example, information that specifies the work of transporting the transported item 92 from the departure point to the destination. In this embodiment, the recruitment information D2 includes at least route information that indicates the route to be used to transport the transported item 92.

That is, in this embodiment, the upper system 2 generates recruitment information D2 regarding the content of the transport work based on the request information D1 input from the command system 100 as described above. Here, the upper system 2 generates multiple pieces of recruitment information D2 for one piece of request information D1 as described above. The multiple pieces of recruitment information D2 include recruitment information D2 with different transport routes, such as recruitment information D2 that preferentially uses an air route (airmail), recruitment information D2 that preferentially uses a sea route (shipping), and recruitment information D2 that preferentially uses a land route (land transport), for example.

In addition, in this embodiment, the recruitment information D2 includes multiple recruitment items that correspond to multiple split routes included in the route from the departure point to the destination. That is, the route from the departure point to the destination may include multiple routes, such as a route from the departure point to a midpoint and a route from the midpoint to the destination, as one example. In this way, when the entire route from the departure point to the destination includes multiple routes (split routes), the upper system 2 generates recruitment information D2 by including multiple recruitment items that correspond one-to-one to these multiple routes (split routes).

In other words, when the upper interface 21 receives one piece of request information D1 from the command system 100, the work generation unit 23 generates multiple pieces of recruitment information D2 each having a different transport route. The work generation unit 23 then generates multiple recruitment items for each piece of recruitment information D2. In other words, the work generation unit 23 generates multiple pieces of recruitment information D2 while also setting multiple division routes for the transport route corresponding to each piece of recruitment information D2, thereby generating multiple recruitment items for each piece of recruitment information D2. In other words, the work generation unit 23 generates multiple pieces of recruitment information D2, each of which includes multiple recruitment items.

The task generation unit 23 also generates the recruitment information D2 based on the environmental information. The "environmental information" in this disclosure is information (data) related to the operation of the transport device 4, and examples thereof include the current position of the transported object, the surrounding conditions of the transport device 4, a map (interior map) of the specific area Z10, and the conditions of obstacles (including people) in the specific area Z10. In other words, the upper system 2 generates the recruitment information D2 based on the environmental information related to the operation of the transport device 4. The surrounding conditions of the transport device 4 can be substituted by the status information acquired by the lower system 3 from the transport device 4 as described above. For example, for the task of transporting the transported object 92 from the departure point to the destination, the task generation unit 23 generates the recruitment information D2 including route information for moving the transport device 4 in the shortest distance while avoiding obstacles based on the environmental information so as to move the transport device 4 efficiently.

Here, the task generation unit 23 generates recruitment information D2 including the priority. In this disclosure, "priority" is a value (not limited to a numerical value) that is set for each task. Details will be explained in the "(3) Operation" section, but priority is a value that indicates the degree to which a task is prioritized, and the more important the task, the higher the priority is set.

The upper storage unit 24 is realized, for example, by a non-transitory recording medium such as a rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory. The upper storage unit 24 stores at least the recruitment information D2 generated by the task generation unit 23. In this embodiment, as described above, multiple pieces of recruitment information D2 are generated based on one piece of request information D1, and therefore the upper storage unit 24 can store multiple pieces of recruitment information D2.

The determination unit 25 determines which of the multiple lower systems 3 to select as the adopted system based on the estimate information D3. That is, when the upper communication unit 22 receives an upstream signal representing the estimate information D3 from the lower system 3, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not to select the lower system 3 as the adopted system based on this estimate information D3. Here, the determination unit 25 returns a downstream signal representing instruction information D4 to the lower system 3 selected as the adopted system in response to the upstream signal representing the estimate information D3. Specifically, the upper communication unit 22 transmits instruction information D4 (downstream signal) including unique identification information (lower system ID) included in the estimate information D3 (upstream signal) to the lower system 3, whereby the instruction information D4 for the estimate information D3 is given. On the other hand, when the instruction information D4 is not given for the estimate information D3, the determination unit 25 returns a downstream signal representing non-permission in response to the upstream signal representing the estimate information D3, or does not respond to the upstream signal representing the estimate information D3.

Here, when determining whether to give instruction information D4 to estimate information D3, the determination unit 25 determines whether estimate information D3 satisfies a predetermined adoption condition. Specifically, the determination unit 25 calculates an evaluation value for each estimate information D3, and determines that the estimated number of estimate information D3 with the highest evaluation value satisfies the adoption condition. The "planned number of adoptions" in this disclosure is the planned number of instruction information D4 issued for one transport task, which is basically "1", but is "2" or more for transport tasks to be performed by multiple transport means. In other words, when estimate information D3 is output from multiple lower-level systems 3 for one transport task, instruction information D4 is given to the estimated number of estimate information D3 with the highest evaluation value among these multiple estimate information D3.

For example, the determination unit 25 calculates the evaluation value by performing a weighting calculation using the cost (including transport time and transport cost, etc.) related to the transport of the transported item 92 and the state of the transport means (capacity of the transport means, current position, surrounding conditions, cumulative operation time, etc.) included in the estimate information D3. As an example, the shorter the transport time or the cheaper the transport cost, the higher the evaluation value becomes.

The determination unit 25 gives instruction information D4 only to the estimate information D3 that is determined to satisfy the adoption conditions, and does not give instruction information D4 to the estimate information D3 that does not satisfy the adoption conditions. A minimum value may be set for the evaluation value. In this case, the determination unit 25 determines that all estimate information D3 whose evaluation value is below the minimum value does not satisfy the adoption conditions, regardless of the magnitude relationship of the evaluation value with other estimate information D3.

The publication unit 26 publishes the recruitment information D2 to the lower system 3. Specifically, the publication unit 26 publishes the recruitment information D2 generated by the task generation unit 23 to the lower system 3 by transmitting the recruitment information D2 from the upper communication unit 22 to the lower system 3. In other words, the recruitment information D2 is unpublished to the lower system 3 at least immediately after it is generated by the task generation unit 23, and the timing for publishing the recruitment information D2 is determined by the publication unit 26.

In this embodiment, the unpublished recruitment information D2 cannot be viewed from the lower system 3, so the lower system 3 does not output the estimate information D3 for the unpublished recruitment information D2 (work). Only after the recruitment information D2 is published can the lower system 3 output the estimate information D3 for this recruitment information D2 (work). In short, the reception state for the work includes two states: a recruitment state in which the estimate information D3 for the work is accepted, and a non-recruitment state in which the estimate information D3 for the work is not accepted. In other words, the upper system 2 is configured to be able to switch the reception state for the work between a recruitment state and a non-recruitment state. Here, the reception state for the work specified in the unpublished recruitment information D2 is a non-recruitment state, and the reception state for the work specified in the published recruitment information D2 is a recruitment state.

The upper acquisition unit 27 acquires quotation information D3, etc. from the lower system 3. Furthermore, the upper acquisition unit 27 also acquires environmental information used by the work generation unit 23 to generate recruitment information D2. The upper acquisition unit 27 can acquire environmental information from systems other than the lower system 3, such as a monitoring system that monitors the situation in a specific area Z10. Specifically, the upper system 2 acquires various types of information at the upper acquisition unit 27 by communicating with the lower system 3 and the monitoring system, etc. via the upper communication unit 22.

In this embodiment, the upper system 2 acquires the response of the estimate information D3 from the lower system 3 to the corresponding recruitment items in the order of the multiple split routes from the departure point to the destination. That is, as described above, the recruitment information D2 includes multiple recruitment items corresponding to the multiple split routes included in the route from the departure point to the destination. Therefore, the upper system 2 publishes these multiple recruitment items in the order of the multiple split routes from the departure point to the destination. In other words, the multiple recruitment items included in the recruitment information D2 are not published all at once, but are published one by one in sequence starting from the recruitment item corresponding to the split route closer to the departure point. Then, the upper system 2 sequentially acquires the estimate information D3 from the lower system 3 as a response to the published recruitment items.

Furthermore, the upper system 2 determines the content of the next recruitment item according to the estimate information D3 acquired from the lower system 3. That is, the upper system 2 sequentially publishes the multiple recruitment items included in the recruitment information D2 one by one, starting with the recruitment item corresponding to the split route closer to the departure point, and acquires estimate information D3 as a response to each recruitment item. Here, when the upper system 2 acquires estimate information D3 in response to a certain recruitment item, it determines the content of the next recruitment item to be published according to the content of this estimate information D3. In other words, the estimate information D3 in response to a certain recruitment item is reflected in the next recruitment item.

The lower system 3 has a lower communication unit 31, a lower interface 32, an estimate generation unit 33, a lower memory unit 34, a judgment unit 35, and a lower acquisition unit 36. Of these, the estimate generation unit 33, the lower memory unit 34, the judgment unit 35, and the lower acquisition unit 36 are realized as functions of the lower processing unit 30, which is mainly composed of a computer system including a memory and a processor.

The lower communication unit 31 communicates with an adjacent upper node (upper system 2 or first lower system 3) directly or indirectly via a network or a repeater, etc. Here, the lower communication unit 31 is capable of receiving at least recruitment information D2 and instruction information D4 transmitted from the upper system 2. Furthermore, the lower communication unit 31 is capable of transmitting quotation information D3 to at least the upper system 2. As the communication method between the lower communication unit 31 and the adjacent upper node (upper system 2 or first lower system 3), an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted.

The lower interface 32 communicates with an adjacent lower node (the second lower system 3 or the transport means) directly or indirectly via a network or a repeater, etc. In FIG. 3, a transport device 4, which is one of the transport means, is shown as an example of an adjacent lower node with which the lower interface 32 communicates. An appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted as the communication method between the lower interface 32 and the adjacent lower node (the second lower system 3 or the transport means).

The functions of the estimate generation unit 33, the lower storage unit 34, the judgment unit 35, and the lower acquisition unit 36 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system constituting the lower processing unit 30. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

The estimate generation unit 33 generates estimate information D3. The estimate generation unit 33 generates estimate information D3 based on the recruitment information D2. The estimate information D3 is generated in correspondence with the recruitment information D2. Here, the estimate generation unit 33 generates one piece of estimate information D3 for one piece of recruitment information D2.

In particular, the recruitment information D2 includes attribute information regarding the attributes of the transported item 92 (see FIG. 1). Each of the multiple lower systems 3 generates estimate information D3 according to the attribute information. In this disclosure, "attribute information" refers to information regarding the attributes of the transported item 92, and includes, for example, the weight, size, type, whether or not the item 92 is refrigerated or frozen, the orientation (posture) during transport, points to note during transport, and the like of the transported item 92. In other words, the estimate generation unit 33 generates estimate information D3 based on the attribute information, etc. included in the recruitment information D2.

In this embodiment, the lower system 3 outputs estimate information D3 to the upper system 2 as a response to each of the multiple recruitment items. That is, in this embodiment, as described above, the recruitment information D2 generated by the upper system 2 includes multiple recruitment items corresponding to the multiple split routes. Therefore, in the lower system 3, estimate information D3 is generated by the estimate generation unit 33 as a response to each of these multiple recruitment items. Here, the lower system 3 does not need to return estimate information D3 for all of the multiple recruitment items, and it is sufficient to return estimate information D3 for at least one of the multiple recruitment items.

Each of the multiple lower systems 3 possesses identification information. The lower systems 3 respond by including the identification information in the quotation information D3. That is, in this embodiment, each of the multiple lower systems 3 is assigned unique identification information. Then, when responding to the recruitment information D2 from the higher system 2, the lower systems 3 generate quotation information D3 including the identification information assigned to each of them in the quotation generation unit 33.

The lower memory unit 34 is realized, for example, by a non-transitory recording medium such as a rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory. The lower memory unit 34 stores at least the estimate information D3 generated by the estimate generation unit 33. In this embodiment, since the estimate information D3 is generated in correspondence with the recruitment information D2 as described above, the lower memory unit 34 can store the estimate information D3 in a state linked to the recruitment information D2.

The judgment unit 35 judges whether to output the estimate information D3. That is, when the lower communication unit 31 receives the recruitment information D2 from the upper system 2, the judgment unit 35 judges whether to output the estimate information D3 corresponding to the recruitment information D2. Here, when the judgment unit 35 outputs the estimate information D3 corresponding to the recruitment information D2, it returns an uplink signal representing the estimate information D3 as a response to the recruitment information D2. Specifically, the lower communication unit 31 transmits the estimate information D3 (uplink signal) including the unique identification information (work ID) included in the recruitment information D2 to the upper system 2, so that the estimate information D3 corresponding to the work (recruitment information D2) is output. On the other hand, when the estimate information D3 corresponding to the recruitment information D2 is not output, the judgment unit 35 returns an uplink signal indicating that it is not requested as a response to the recruitment information D2, or does not respond to the recruitment information D2.

In short, in this embodiment, the judgment unit 35 can only judge whether to output the estimate information D3 once the lower system 3 receives the recruitment information D2 from the higher system 2. Here, the transmission of the recruitment information D2 from the higher system 2 to the lower system 3 is realized by the publication unit 26 publishing the recruitment information D2. Therefore, the lower system 3 does not output estimate information D3 for unpublished recruitment information D2, that is, work for which the acceptance status is not recruiting, but can output estimate information D3 only for published recruitment information D2, that is, work for which the acceptance status is recruiting.

In other words, the lower system 3 outputs a request corresponding to a task whose reception status is in a recruiting state. In particular, in this embodiment, the judgment unit 35 uses the publication of the recruitment information D2 as a trigger to output the estimate information D3 corresponding to the task defined in the recruitment information D2. As a result, the lower system 3 outputs the estimate information D3 at the timing when the reception status switches from a non-recruiting state to a recruiting state, that is, at the timing when the recruitment information D2 is published by the publication unit 26.

The lower level acquisition unit 36 acquires estimate information D3, etc. from at least an adjacent lower level node (the second lower level system 3 or the transport means). Specifically, the lower level system 3 communicates with the adjacent lower level node (the second lower level system 3 or the transport means) via the lower level interface 32, thereby acquiring various information at the lower level acquisition unit 36.

In this embodiment, as an example, the upper interface 21, the upper communication unit 22, the lower communication unit 31, and the lower interface 32 employ wireless communication conforming to standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or low-power radio (specific low-power radio) that does not require a license. The lower interface 32 may employ wired communication.

(2.3) Conveying Device Next, the configuration of the conveying device 4 exemplified in this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The transport device 4 is a dedicated transport means specialized for transport work in a specific area Z10. In this embodiment, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) type transport device 4 is shown as an example.

In the present disclosure, a "specific area" refers to a location where transportation is performed by one or more transport devices 4, and examples include factories, warehouses, construction sites, stores, logistics centers, offices, parks, homes, schools, hospitals, stations, airports, or parking lots. Furthermore, for example, when transportation is performed by a transport device 4 inside a vehicle such as a ship, train, or airplane, the interior of the vehicle becomes a "specific area."

As shown in FIG. 4, the conveying device 4 autonomously travels on a flat moving surface 91 consisting of, for example, the floor surface of the specific area Z10. Here, as an example, the conveying device 4 is equipped with a storage battery and operates using electrical energy stored in the storage battery. In this embodiment, the conveying device 4 travels on the moving surface 91 with an object 92 loaded on it. This allows the conveying device 4 to convey, for example, the object 92 placed at a certain location in the specific area Z10 to another location in the specific area Z10. In this embodiment, the object 92 is, for example, a pallet such as a roll box pallet on which luggage is placed.

The conveying device 4 includes a main body 41. The main body 41 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape in a plan view. In this embodiment, the main body 41 slides under the conveyed object 92 and lifts it up, so that the conveyed object 92 is loaded onto the main body 41. Therefore, the vertical dimension of the main body 41 is set smaller than the short-side dimension of the main body 41 in a plan view so that the main body 41 fits into the gap that occurs under the conveyed object 92. In this embodiment, the main body 41 is made of metal. However, the main body 41 is not limited to being made of metal, and may be made of, for example, resin.

The main body 41 has a vehicle body 42 and a lift plate 43. The vehicle body 42 includes a plurality of wheels 421 (four in this example) and a detection unit 422.

The multiple wheels 421 are arranged at the four corners of the vehicle body 42 in a plan view. In this embodiment, all of the multiple wheels 421 are drive wheels. By driving these multiple wheels 421 individually, the main body 41 can move in all directions along the moving surface 91. In other words, the main body 41 can move in all directions, forward, backward, left, and right, on the moving surface 91 by the rotation of each of the multiple wheels 421. Each of the multiple wheels 421 may be, for example, an omni-directional wheel such as an omniwheel.

The detection unit 422 detects the behavior of the main body unit 41 and the surrounding conditions of the main body unit 41. In this disclosure, "behavior" means an operation and a state. In other words, the behavior of the main body unit 41 includes the operating state of the main body unit 41 indicating whether the main body unit 41 is moving/stopped, the speed (and speed change) of the main body unit 41, the acceleration acting on the main body unit 41, and the attitude of the main body unit 41. Specifically, the detection unit 422 includes sensors such as a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor, and detects the behavior of the main body unit 41 using these sensors. In addition, the detection unit 422 includes sensors such as an image sensor (camera), a sonar sensor, a radar, and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and detects the surrounding conditions of the main body unit 41 using these sensors.

The detection unit 422 also has a position identification unit that identifies the position of the main body unit 41, i.e., the current position of the transport device 4. As an example, the position identification unit includes a receiver that receives beacon signals transmitted by radio waves from multiple transmitters. The multiple transmitters are arranged at multiple locations within the range in which the transport device 4 moves. The position identification unit measures the position of the main body unit 41 based on the positions of the multiple transmitters and the received radio wave intensity of the beacon signal at the receiver. The position identification unit may be realized using a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System).

The main body 41 moves autonomously on the moving surface 91 by individually driving the wheels 421 based on the detection results of the detection unit 422. The main body 41 determines the moving path of the main body 41 to the destination based on at least the current position of the main body 41 (route planning), and operates the vehicle body 42 so that the main body 41 moves along this moving path. This allows the main body 41 to move autonomously.

The lift plate 43 is disposed above the vehicle body 42 so as to cover at least a portion of the upper surface of the vehicle body 42. In this embodiment, the lift plate 43 is provided so as to cover each of the four corners of the upper surface of the vehicle body 42. When the transport device 4 transports the transported object 92, the transported object 92 is loaded on the upper surface of the lift plate 43.

Here, the lift plate 43 can be raised and lowered relative to the vehicle body 42. Therefore, when the main body 41 is under the transported object 92, the lift plate 43 rises, and the transported object 92 is lifted by the lift plate 43. Conversely, when the lift plate 43 has lifted the transported object 92, the lift plate 43 lowers, and the transported object 92 is lowered from the lift plate 43.

In addition, the conveying device 4 is appropriately equipped with other configurations than those described above, such as a charging circuit for a storage battery and a user interface, etc.

In this embodiment, as described above, some of the second lower systems 3[3-2], 3[4-2], 3[5-2] are mounted on the main body 41 which transports the transported object 92, and are integrated with the transport device 4. In other words, the transport device 4 includes an information processing system as the lower system 3, and the main body 41. In this embodiment, the lower system 3 is built into the main body 41 so that it does not interfere with the work (operation) of the transport device 4. In other words, the housing which forms the outer shell of the main body 41 contains the components for realizing the function of the transport device 4 and the components of the lower system 3.

Here, the detection unit 422 of the conveying device 4 is also used to detect information used by the lower system 3 (e.g., status information on the status of the conveying device 4) and to detect information used by the higher-level system 2 (e.g., environmental information related to the operation of the conveying device 4). In other words, the detection unit 422 is shared by the conveying device 4, the lower system 3, and the higher-level system 2.

In addition, the storage battery that serves as the power source (power supply) for the conveying device 4 may also be used as the power source for the lower system 3. In other words, the storage battery can be shared between the conveying device 4 and the lower system 3. Similarly, the communication function of the lower system 3 (lower communication unit 31) may also be used for communication with an external system (such as the upper system 2) in the conveying device 4. In other words, the lower communication unit 31 can be shared between the lower system 3 and the conveying device 4. Furthermore, the control function of the lower system 3 (lower processing unit 30) may also be used to control the car body unit 42 and the lifting plate 43 in the conveying device 4. In other words, the lower processing unit 30 can be shared between the lower system 3 and the conveying device 4.

(3) Operation Next, the operation of the transport management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 5A to 11.

(3.1) Preconditions In the following, the solicitation information D2 and instruction information D4 generated by the upper system 2, and the estimate information D3 generated by the lower system 3 may be conceptually explained by comparing them to a "ticket" as shown in Fig. 1 etc. Here, the generation of the solicitation information D2 corresponds to the "issuance" of a "ticket", and the publication of the solicitation information D2 (i.e., switching from a non-solicitation state to a solicitation state) corresponds to the "publication" of a "ticket".

Here, we assume that the transport management system 1 is used to transport goods 92 from a departure point Px1 of company X to a destination point Py1 of company Y, as shown in Figure 5A. The departure point Px1 of company X is in country A, and the destination Py1 of company Y is in country B.

There are three routes from Company X Px1 to Company Y Py1: Route 1, Route 2, and Route 3. Route 1 passes through Country A's first airport Pr1 and Country B's first airport Pr2, and is a route that uses "Air 1" (airplane) from Country A's first airport Pr1 to Country B's first airport Pr2. Route 2 passes through Country A's second airport Pr3 and Country B's first airport Pr2, and is a route that uses "Air 2" (airplane) from Country A's second airport Pr3 to Country B's first airport Pr2. Route 3 passes through Country A's first port Pr4 and Country B's first port Pr5, and is a route that uses "Sea route 1" (ship) from Country A's first port Pr4 to Country B's first port Pr5.

The first route includes, as multiple split routes, "Path1A" from Company X's Px1 to Country A's first airport Pr1, "Path2A" from Country A's first airport Pr1 to Country B's first airport Pr2, and "Path3A" from Country B's first airport Pr2 to Company Y's Py1. The second route includes, as multiple split routes, "Path1B" from Company X's Px1 to Country A's second airport Pr3, "Path2B" from Country A's second airport Pr3 to Country B's first airport Pr2, and "Path3A" from Country B's first airport Pr2 to Company Y's Py1. The third route includes, as multiple split routes, "Path1C" from Company X's Px1 to Country A's first port Pr4, "Path2C" from Country A's first port Pr4 to Country B's first port Pr5, and "Path3C" from Country B's first port Pr5 to Company Y's Py1.

Furthermore, "Path2B", which is a split route from Country A's second airport Pr3 to Country B's first airport Pr2, included in the second route, includes two routes, a route via Country C's first airport Pr6 and a route via Country B's second airport Pr7, as shown in Figure 5B. The route via Country C's first airport Pr6 includes multiple split routes, "Path4C" from Country A's second airport Pr3 to Country C's first airport Pr6, and "Path5C" from Country C's first airport Pr6 to Country B's first airport Pr2. The route via Country B's second airport Pr7 includes multiple split routes, "Path4A" from Country A's second airport Pr3 to Country B's second airport Pr7, and "Path5A" from Country B's second airport Pr7 to Country B's first airport Pr2.

It is assumed that the transport management system 1 causes the transport device 4 to transport the transported item 92 within the first airport Pr6 in Country C or the second airport Pr7 in Country B. Based on the above premise, the operation of the transport management system 1 according to this embodiment when one or more transport means are caused to transport the transported item 92 will be described.

(3.2) Example of Operation First, when the upper system 2 receives request information D1 from the command system 100 to transport an item 92 from X company Px1 to Y company Py1, the upper system 2 generates recruitment information D2 based on the request information D1. The request information D1 includes, for example, the departure point (initial departure point), destination (final destination), transportation start date and time, desired information, and cargo information, as shown in Table 1 below. Here, the "desired information" is information regarding requests for transporting the item 92, such as the desired arrival date and time or the desired transport route (for example, air, sea, or land). The "cargo information" is information (attribute information) regarding the attributes of the item 92, including, for example, the weight or size of the item 92.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper system 2 generates three pieces of recruitment information D2, for example as shown in Tables 2 to 4 below, based on one piece of request information D1. That is, the upper system 2 generates multiple pieces of recruitment information D2 (three in this case) for cases in which three routes, the first route, the second route, and the third route, are taken from one piece of request information D1. Table 2 is the recruitment information D2 corresponding to the first route, and "A Airlines 1" is assigned as the ticket ID for identifying the recruitment information D2. Table 3 is the recruitment information D2 corresponding to the second route, and "B Airlines 2" is assigned as the ticket ID for identifying the recruitment information D2. Table 4 is the recruitment information D2 corresponding to the third route, and "C Sea Route 1" is assigned as the ticket ID for identifying the recruitment information D2.

Here, as an example, each recruitment information D2 includes multiple recruitment items corresponding to multiple divided routes, as shown in FIG. 6. That is, recruitment information D2 with a ticket ID of "A Airlines 1" includes three recruitment items corresponding to the three divided routes, "Path1A", "Path2A", and "Path3A". Recruitment information D2 with a ticket ID of "B Airlines 2" includes three recruitment items corresponding to the three divided routes, "Path1B", "Path2B", and "Path3A". Recruitment information D2 with a ticket ID of "C Sea Route 1" includes three recruitment items corresponding to the three divided routes, "Path1C", "Path2C", and "Path3C".

Here, each recruitment item includes information about the start and end points of each split route as information about the corresponding split route. In Tables 2 to 4 above, the "From" column is a column for inputting the start point of the split route, and the "To" column is a column for inputting the end point of the split route. Also, in Tables 2 to 4 above, the "Time1" column is a column for inputting the expected arrival date and time of the transported item 92 at the start point of the split route, and the "Time2" column is a column for inputting the expected arrival date and time of the transported item 92 at the end point of the split route. Also, in Tables 2 to 4 above, the "ID" column is a column for inputting identification information for the lower system 3 (lower system ID), and the "Cost" column is a column for inputting the cost related to transporting the transported item 92.

In the recruitment information D2 generated by the upper system 2, only the "From" and "To" columns of each recruitment item are filled in, and the other columns are basically left blank (unfilled). However, for the recruitment items ("Path1A", "Path1B", and "Path1C") that correspond to the split route that includes the departure point (Company X Px1) among the multiple split routes, the transportation start date and time is entered in the "Time1" column.

In short, the upper system 2 first issues tickets corresponding to the three pieces of recruitment information D2 as shown in Tables 2 to 4. However, at this stage, the tickets have only been issued and have not yet been made public.

Next, the upper system 2 publishes the tickets (recruitment information D2). However, in this embodiment, when there are multiple issued tickets (recruitment information D2), the upper system 2 does not publish these multiple tickets (recruitment information D2) at once, but publishes them one by one in sequence. In other words, the upper system 2 publishes the tickets (recruitment information D2) one by one in sequence, so as to solicit quotation information D3 from the lower system 3. Here, the upper system 2 publishes the tickets in the following order: recruitment information D2 with ticket ID "A Airlines 1", recruitment information D2 with ticket ID "B Airlines 2", and recruitment information D2 with ticket ID "C Sea Route 1".

Furthermore, here, the upper system 2 sequentially publishes the corresponding recruitment items in the order of the multiple divided routes from the departure point to the destination. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper system 2 does not publish the multiple recruitment items included in the recruitment information D2 at once, but publishes them one by one, starting from the recruitment items corresponding to the divided route closer to the departure point (Company X Px1). For example, if the recruitment information D2 has a ticket ID of "A Airlines 1", the upper system 2 publishes the ticket recruitment items in the order of "Path1A", "Path2A", and "Path3A". In other words, the ticket corresponding to the recruitment information D2 includes a bundle of multiple small tickets corresponding to multiple divided routes, as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, the upper system 2 does not publish these bundles of multiple small tickets at once, but publishes each small ticket one by one.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper system 2 first publishes the recruitment item "Path1A" of the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "A Airlines 1". Here, of the multiple lower systems 3, two lower systems 3[1] and 3[2] judge to output quotation information D3 at the judgment unit 35, and return the quotation information D3 to the upper system 2. At this time, each lower system 3[1] and 3[2] generates quotation information D3 by entering values in the "ID", "Time2" and "Cost" columns in the published recruitment item "Path1A". In other words, in this embodiment, quotation information D3 is generated by filling in the blanks in the published recruitment information D2.

As a result, the upper system 2 obtains quotation information D3 from the lower systems 3[1] and 3[2] in response to the recruitment information D2. Table 5 above shows the quotation information D3 obtained by the upper system 2 from the lower system 3[1], and Table 6 above shows the quotation information D3 obtained by the upper system 2 from the lower system 3[2].

Here, the upper system 2 selects quotation information D3 that satisfies the hiring conditions from among multiple pieces of quotation information D3 for the recruitment information D2. Here, it is assumed that, of the lower systems 3[1] and 3[2], the quotation information D3 from the lower system 3[1] satisfies the hiring conditions. Therefore, the upper system 2 selects the lower system 3[1] as the provisionally hired system.

Next, the upper system 2 publishes the recruitment item "Path2A" of the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "A Airlines 1" as shown in Table 7 below. At this time, the upper system 2 enters the value of the "Time2" column in the estimate information D3 from the lower system 3 [1] selected as the provisional adoption system into the "Time1" column in the recruitment item of "Path2A". As a result, the estimate information D3 as a response to the recruitment item "Path1A" is reflected in the next recruitment item "Path2A".

In this way, the upper system 2 publishes the recruitment item "Path2A" of the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "A Airlines 1". Here, of the multiple lower systems 3, two lower systems 3[3] and 3[4] judge to output quotation information D3 in the judgment unit 35, and return quotation information D3 to the upper system 2. At this time, each lower system 3[3] and 3[4] generates quotation information D3 by entering values in the "ID", "Time2" and "Cost" columns in the published recruitment item "Path2A".

As a result, the upper system 2 obtains quotation information D3 from the lower systems 3[3] and 3[4] in response to the recruitment information D2. Here, it is assumed that the quotation information D3 from the lower system 3[4] satisfies the hiring conditions among the lower systems 3[3] and 3[4]. Therefore, the upper system 2 selects the lower system 3[4] as the provisional hiring system.

The upper system 2 then similarly publishes and obtains quotation information D3 for the recruitment item "Path3A" in the recruitment information D2 for which the ticket ID is "A Airlines 1". As a result, as shown in Figure 7, the upper system 2 determines a provisional adoption system for all of the multiple recruitment items "Path1A", "Path2A", and "Path3A" for the recruitment information D2 for which the ticket ID is "A Airlines 1". In Figure 7 etc., the items selected by the upper system 2 have checks (evaluation marks) in the checkboxes.

Thereafter, the upper system 2 similarly publishes and obtains quotation information D3 for the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "B Airlines 2" and the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "C Sea Route 1." As a result, the upper system 2 obtains quotation information D3 for all of the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "A Airlines 1," the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "B Airlines 2," and the recruitment information D2 whose ticket ID is "C Sea Route 1," as shown in FIG.

Then, the upper system 2 evaluates the quotation information D3 as a response to each ticket (recruitment information D2), and finally determines the lower system 3 to be selected as the adopted system. In other words, the upper system 2 compares the quotation information D3 for the recruitment information D2 with the ticket ID "A Airlines 1", the recruitment information D2 with the ticket ID "B Airlines 2", and the recruitment information D2 with the ticket ID "C Sea Route 1", and selects one of the recruitment information D2. Here, it is assumed that the quotation information D3 as a response to the recruitment information D2 with the ticket ID "B Airlines 2" satisfies the adoption conditions. Therefore, the upper system 2 selects the lower systems 3[1], 3[4], and 3[6], which were selected as the provisionally adopted systems for the recruitment information D2 with the ticket ID "B Airlines 2", as the adopted systems.

In this embodiment, a hierarchical structure is adopted for some of the lower-level systems 3, and includes a first lower-level system 3 and a second lower-level system 3 that is an adjacent lower-level node of the first lower-level system 3. Here, the lower-level systems 3[3], 3[4], and 3[5] that return quotation information D3 for the recruitment item "Path2B" each serve as a first lower-level system 3, and together with the second lower-level system 3 that is an adjacent lower-level node thereof, a hierarchical structure is realized.

The first lower-level systems 3[3], 3[4], and 3[5] then release tickets as recruitment information (sub-recruitment information) D2 to their subordinate second lower-level systems 3[3-1], 3[3-2], ... 3[5-2], and 3[5-3], as shown in Figure 9. The second lower-level systems 3[3-1], 3[3-2], ... 3[5-2], and 3[5-3] then output quotation information (sub-quotation information) D3 in response to the recruitment information (sub-recruitment information) D2 from the first lower-level system 3. In other words, in the relationship between the first lower-level system 3 and the second lower-level system 3, the first lower-level system 3 functions in the same way as the higher-level system 2, and the second lower-level system 3 functions in the same way as the lower-level system 3.

In the example of FIG. 9, the first lower-level systems 3[3], 3[4], and 3[5] generate and publish recruitment information D2 with ticket ID "D", recruitment information D2 with ticket ID "E", and recruitment information D2 with ticket ID "F", respectively. For example, recruitment information D2 with ticket ID "D" includes multiple recruitment items "Path4A", "Job1", and "Path5A". Here, recruitment items "Path4A" and "Path5A" correspond to "Path4A" from Country A's second airport Pr3 to Country B's second airport Pr7, and "Path5A" from Country B's second airport Pr7 to Country B's first airport Pr2, respectively. In addition, recruitment item "Job1" corresponds to the transportation work of transported goods 92 within Country B's second airport Pr7.

The first lower-level system 3 generates quotation information D3 to be sent back to the higher-level system 2 based on the quotation information D3 acquired from the second lower-level system 3. As a result, the higher-level system 2 selects the first lower-level system 3[4] as the adopted system out of the first lower-level systems 3[3], 3[4], and 3[5].

Once the adopted system has been determined, the upper system 2 outputs instruction information D4 to the lower system 3 as the adopted system, as shown in FIG. 10. Here, the instruction information D4 is information obtained by changing the type of the estimate information D3 to "confirmed", and the ticket ID is marked as "confirmed". Specifically, the upper system 2 outputs instruction information D4 with a ticket ID of "B Airlines 2 Confirmed" to the lower systems 3[1], 3[4], and 3[6], as shown in Table 8. Also, the first lower system 3[4] outputs instruction information D4 with a ticket ID of "E Confirmed" to the second lower system 3[4-1], 3[4-2], and 3[4-3], as shown in Table 9.

Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 10, the second lower system 3 [4-2] outputs instruction information D4 with a ticket ID of "Job 2 Confirmed" to the subordinate transport device 4, as shown in Table 10. In the instruction information in Table 10, the "ID" column is left blank, but the identification information of the transport device 4 is entered in this "ID" column when the transport device 4 performs the transport work.

The lower system 3, which has received the instruction information D4, carries out the transport work specified in the ticket (instruction information D4). When the transported item 92 arrives at its destination, Y Company Py1, the lower system 3 outputs a completion notification to the higher system 2. When the higher system 2 receives the completion notification, the request information D1 of transporting the transported item 92 from X Company Px1 to Y Company Py1 is realized. In other words, the request information D1 is accomplished by carrying out the work specified in the recruitment information D2 generated by the higher system 2.

(3.3) Sequence Diagram FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram that shows an outline of the operation of the transport management system 1 described above.

That is, first, the command system 100 transmits request information D1 to the higher-level system 2 (S1). The higher-level system 2 generates recruitment information D2 based on the request information D1 (S2). The higher-level system 2 then publishes the generated recruitment information D2 (S3). By publishing the recruitment information D2, the work acceptance status changes from "not recruiting" to "recruiting". The published recruitment information D2 is transmitted from the higher-level system 2 to the lower-level system 3 (S4).

When the lower system 3 receives the recruitment information D2 from the upper system 2, it determines whether the application conditions are met. If the application conditions are met, the lower system 3 generates quotation information D3 (S5, S6). The lower system 3 then executes a request process (S7, S8) to output the quotation information D3. As a result of the request process (S7, S8), the quotation information D3 is sent from the lower system 3 to the upper system 2 (S7, S8).

When the higher-level system 2 receives the estimate information D3 from the lower-level system 3, it executes a judgment process (S9) to judge whether to give instruction information D4 for the estimate information D3. If the adoption conditions are met, the higher-level system 2 executes a selection process (S10) to select the lower-level system 3 as the adopted system. As a result of the selection process (S10), the higher-level system 2 sends a non-approval notice D5 indicating non-approval to the lower-level system 3 [2] that is not the adopted system (S11). Furthermore, as a result of the selection process (S10), the higher-level system 2 sends instruction information D4 to the lower-level system 3 [1] as the adopted system (S12).

When the lower system 3 [1] receives the instruction information D4 from the higher-level system 2, it executes a transport process (S13) in which the transport means executes the transport work corresponding to the estimate information D3. When the transport work by the transport means is completed, the lower system 3 [1] outputs a completion notification to the higher-level system 2 (S14). Upon receiving the completion notification, the higher-level system 2 executes a completion process (S15). At this time, it is preferable that the higher-level system 2 transmits a completion notification D6 to the command system 100 (S16). This allows the command system 100 to know that the transport work corresponding to the request information D1 sent to the higher-level system 2 has been completed.

The sequence diagram in Figure 11 is merely one example of the operation of the transport management system 1, and the order of the processes may be changed as appropriate, or any of the processes may be omitted as appropriate.

(3.4) Other operations In the transportation management system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the transportation means performs a task, a remuneration is generated as a remuneration for the performed task. The remuneration is realized, for example, in the form of money (including credits and virtual currency), points, goods, or benefits including services such as maintenance of the transportation means. As an example, the remuneration is paid by the owner of the command system 100 or the upper system 2, and the remuneration is received by the owner of the lower system 3 or the transportation means. This provides the lower system 3 or the transportation means with motivation to perform the task. The remuneration may be settled (paid and received) each time the transportation means completes a task, or may be settled at a predetermined calculation period (for example, one month). In the case where a remuneration is generated, the lower system 3 may have a function of retaining information on the remuneration obtained by the task, or the "task score" which is the track record of the task, when the instruction information D4 is given to the estimate information D3 and the subordinate transportation means is caused to perform the task.

Furthermore, in cases where remuneration is paid, it is preferable that the amount of the remuneration is determined for each task. In this disclosure, "amount of remuneration" refers to the amount of consideration paid as remuneration; for example, if the remuneration is monetary, the greater the amount of remuneration, the higher the monetary amount (value). In other words, rather than a uniform remuneration being paid for all tasks, it is possible to vary the amount of remuneration depending on the task.

(4) Modifications The first embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Various modifications of the first embodiment are possible depending on the design and the like, as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, the same function as the transportation management system 1 according to the first embodiment may be embodied in a transportation management method, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon. The transportation management method according to one aspect includes a request process, a recruitment process, an estimate process, a selection process, and an execution process. The request process is a process in which request information instructing the transportation of the transported object 92 from the departure point to the destination is input to the upper system 2. The recruitment process is a process in which the upper system 2 outputs the recruitment information D2 based on the request information D1 to the multiple lower systems 3. The estimate process is a process in which, in response to the recruitment information D2, each of the multiple lower systems 3 outputs the estimate information D3 regarding the transportation of the transported object 92 to the upper system 2. The selection process is a process in which one or more lower systems 3 are selected as the adopted system from among the multiple lower systems 3 based on the estimate information D3 acquired from each of the multiple lower systems 3. The execution process is a process of causing the adopted system to carry out the transportation of the transported object 92. A (computer) program according to one aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the above-mentioned transportation management method.

Below, we list some variations of the first embodiment. The variations described below can be combined as appropriate.

The transport management system 1 in the present disclosure includes a computer system, for example, in the upper system 2 and the lower system 3. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system to realize the function of the transport management system 1 in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, provided through an electric communication line, or recorded and provided in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI referred to here are called differently depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). In addition, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of the LSI, or a logic device that can reconfigure the connection relationship inside the LSI or reconfigure the circuit partition inside the LSI, can also be used as a processor. The electronic circuits may be integrated in one chip or distributed among multiple chips. The chips may be integrated in one device or distributed among multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Thus, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

Furthermore, it is not a required configuration of the transport management system 1 that multiple functions in the upper system 2 or the lower system 3 are concentrated in one housing, and each component of the upper system 2 or the lower system 3 may be distributed across multiple housings. The lower system 3 may be separate from the transport device 4. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the transport management system 1, for example, some of the functions of the upper system 2 or the lower system 3, may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

Conversely, in the first embodiment, at least some of the functions of the transport management system 1 that are distributed among multiple devices may be consolidated in one housing. For example, some of the functions of the transport management system 1 that are distributed among the upper system 2 and the lower system 3 may be consolidated in one housing.

Furthermore, it is not a required configuration of the transport management system 1 for the upper system 2 to generate the recruitment information D2, and the recruitment information D2 may be generated, for example, by the lower system 3 or the command system 100, or may be stored in advance in the memory of the lower system 3. In these cases, the lower system 3 can issue the estimate information D3 without waiting for the higher system 2 to make the recruitment information D2 public.

Furthermore, even if the higher-level system 2 generates recruitment information D2, it is not a required configuration of the transport management system 1 for the higher-level system 2 to transmit the recruitment information D2 to the lower-level system 3. For example, if the higher-level system 2 makes the recruitment information D2 available for viewing by the lower-level system 3, the lower-level system 3 can access the higher-level system 2 and check the recruitment information D2 in the same way as when it receives the recruitment information D2 from the higher-level system 2. This allows the lower-level system 3 to issue estimate information D3 corresponding to the work specified in the recruitment information D2.

Furthermore, in the higher-level system 2, the specific means for switching the reception status of a task between a recruiting state and a non-recruiting state is not limited to the publication of recruitment information D2 by the publication unit 26. For example, when recruitment information D2 includes a reception status flag, the reception status of the task specified in this recruitment information D2 may be switched between a recruiting state and a non-recruiting state depending on the value of the reception status flag. In this case, regardless of whether recruitment information D2 is published by the publication unit 26, the reception status of the task can be switched between a recruiting state and a non-recruiting state.

In addition, techniques such as machine learning may be used for some of the functions of the transport management system 1, such as the judgment of the employment conditions in the judgment unit 25 and the judgment of the application conditions in the judgment unit 35. In particular, it is preferable to use techniques such as machine learning from the viewpoint of efficiently operating the transport device 4.

In addition, an expiration date may be set for the work. In this case, it is preferable that the instruction information D4 is given only to the estimate information D3 output within the expiration date. In other words, if the estimate information D3 is output within the expiration date, the instruction information D4 may be given to the estimate information D3, but if the estimate information D3 is output outside the expiration date, the instruction information D4 is not given to the estimate information D3. The expiration date in this disclosure is a period during which the estimate information D3 and the instruction information D4 for the work are valid, and is, for example, a certain period (for example, several seconds) from the publication of the recruitment information D2 by the upper system 2. The expiration date is, for example, included in the recruitment information D2. Specifically, for example, the lower system 3 outputs the estimate information D3 only for the work within the expiration date. Alternatively, the upper system 2 may switch the acceptance status from the recruitment status to the non-recruitment status at the time the expiration date has passed. In other words, the upper system 2 does not set the period during which the acceptance status for the work is the recruitment status indefinitely, but sets a limit on the period during which the estimate information D3 from the lower system 3 is valid in the form of an expiration date. This makes it easier for the host system 2 to keep the time it takes to wait for the estimate information D3 from the lower system 3 short.

Furthermore, if an expiration date is set, and quotation information D3 that satisfies the employment conditions for this work is not obtained within the expiration date, the upper system 2 may change the recruitment information D2, for example, by raising the priority. In other words, if a transport device 4 to perform the work is not decided within the expiration date, the upper system 2 changes the recruitment information D2 and re-recruits a transport device 4 to perform this work. At this time, the changes to the recruitment information D2 may be any changes that make it easier to meet the application conditions or employment conditions for this work, and may be, in addition to raising the priority, for example, a change to the transport route, etc.

In addition, the lower-level systems 3 to which the recruitment information D2 is to be disclosed may be limited. In this case, even if the lower-level systems 3 do not determine whether or not to output the estimate information D3 using the judgment unit 35, all of the lower-level systems 3 to which the recruitment information D2 is to be disclosed may output the estimate information D3.

In addition, in the higher-level system 2, the multiple recruitment information D2 generated for one request information D1 are not limited to recruitment information D2 having different transportation routes, but may also include, for example, recruitment information D2 having different shipping dates and/or arrival dates and times.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in Fig. 12, the transport management system 1A according to this embodiment differs from the transport management system 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes multiple host systems 2. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described as appropriate.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the transport management system 1A has two upper systems 2. In this transport management system 1A, the multiple upper systems 2 can acquire quotation information D3 from the same lower system 3. Specifically, each of the multiple lower systems 3 is configured to be able to communicate with the two upper systems 2. Therefore, each lower system 3 can output quotation information D3 for both the recruitment information D2 published by one upper system 2 and the recruitment information D2 published by the other upper system 2. Therefore, each upper system 2 can acquire quotation information D3 from the same lower system 3.

According to the transport management system 1A of this embodiment, the lower system 3 can acquire work to be performed by the transport means by being given instruction information D4 for estimate information D3 from one of multiple higher-level systems 2. For example, even during a period when recruitment information D2 is not published from one higher-level system 2, the lower system 3 has more opportunities to acquire work to be performed by the transport means by outputting estimate information D3 to other higher-level systems 2 that have published recruitment information D2. This makes it easier for the lower system 3 to make more effective use of the transport means under its control.

Furthermore, the transport management system 1A may be equipped with multiple upper systems 2, and may also be equipped with three or more upper systems 2.

The various configurations (including modified examples) described in embodiment 2 can be adopted in appropriate combination with the various configurations (including modified examples) described in embodiment 1.

(Embodiment 3)
13, the transport management system 1B according to this embodiment differs from the transport management system 1 according to the first embodiment in that for at least one lower system 3, the lower system 3 and the transport device 4 have a one-to-many relationship. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

That is, in this embodiment, for at least one of the multiple lower-level systems 3, multiple conveying devices 4 are linked to one lower-level system 3. In other words, multiple conveying means exist under one lower-level system 3. This lower-level system 3 can cause each of the multiple conveying devices 4 under it to perform work by outputting instruction information D4 to each of the multiple conveying devices 4 under it.

As shown in FIG. 13, the transport management system 1B according to this embodiment further includes a group control system 5 that controls multiple transport devices 4. The lower-level system 3 outputs work instructions to the group control system 5, thereby causing at least one of the multiple transport devices 4 to perform work. In the example of FIG. 13, the transport management system 1B includes multiple lower-level systems 3. The group control system 5 is interposed between each of the multiple lower-level systems 3 and the multiple transport devices 4.

The group control system 5 is a system that controls multiple transport devices 4, and there is a one-to-many relationship between the group control system 5 and the transport devices 4. In other words, the group control system 5 is configured to be able to communicate with multiple transport devices 4, and one group control system 5 is linked to multiple transport devices 4. Hereinafter, each of the multiple transport devices 4 linked to a certain group control system 5 is also referred to as a transport device 4 under the group control system 5. The multiple transport devices 4 under one group control system 5 may be devices that perform the same type of work, or may be devices that perform different types of work.

The group control system 5 is also configured to be able to communicate with the lower system 3. This allows the group control system 5 to acquire work instructions sent from the lower system 3. Here, when the group control system 5 receives a work instruction from the lower system 3, it generates instruction information D4 (see FIG. 10) based on the work instruction and outputs the instruction information D4 to the subordinate transport device 4. The transport device 4 that receives the instruction information D4 from the group control system 5 performs work according to the instruction information D4. That is, in this embodiment, the lower system 3 does not directly output instruction information D4 to the transport device 4 to have the transport device 4 perform the work, but rather indirectly causes the transport device 4 to perform the work by outputting a work instruction to the group control system 5.

Here, the group control system 5 may determine, based on the content of the work instruction, which of the multiple transport devices 4 is to perform the work and how many of the transport devices 4 are to perform the work. In this case, the group control system 5 outputs instruction information D4 only to the transport device 4 that is to perform the work, out of the multiple transport devices 4 under its control.

According to the transport management system 1B of this embodiment, the group control system 5 is responsible for bundling multiple transport devices 4, making it easier to effectively utilize multiple transport devices 4 while suppressing an increase in the processing load on the lower-level system 3.

In addition, the transport management system 1B may have multiple group control systems 5 for one lower-level system 3.

By the way, in the transport management system 1B according to the third embodiment, the group control system 5 is not a required configuration. For example, as a modified example of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of subordinate transport devices 4 may be connected to the lower system 3 without going through the group control system 5. In this case, the lower system 3 outputs instruction information D4 directly to the subordinate transport devices 4 to cause the transport devices 4 to perform work. Furthermore, in the transport management system 1B according to the third embodiment, for at least one lower system 3, the lower system 3 and the transport devices 4 may have a one-to-many relationship, and the number of subordinate transport devices 4 may differ for each lower system 3. In the example shown in FIG. 14, there is one transport device 4 subordinate to a certain lower system 3, two transport devices 4 subordinate to another lower system 3, and three or more transport devices 4 subordinate to yet another lower system 3.

The various configurations (including modified examples) described in embodiment 3 can be adopted in appropriate combination with the various configurations (including modified examples) described in embodiment 1 or embodiment 2.

(summary)
As described above, the transportation management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to the first aspect includes a host system (2) and a plurality of lower systems (3). The host system (2) receives request information (D1) instructing the transportation of an object (92) from a departure point to a destination. The lower systems (3) acquire recruitment information (D2) based on the request information (D1) from the host system (2). In response to the recruitment information (D2), the host system (2) acquires estimate information (D3) regarding the transportation of the object (92) from each of the lower systems (3). The host system (2) selects one or more lower systems (3) from the lower systems (3) as an adopted system based on the estimate information (D3) acquired from each of the lower systems (3). The host system (2) causes the adopted system to transport the object (92).

According to this aspect, the upper system (2) can obtain quotation information (D3) from the lower systems (3) by outputting recruitment information (D2) to the lower systems (3). Then, the transport of the transported object (92) can be realized by one or more lower systems (3) selected based on the quotation information (D3). That is, in order for any lower system (3) to undertake the transport of a certain transported object (92), the lower system (3) will voluntarily output quotation information (D3) in response to the recruitment information (D2). On the other hand, the upper system (2) can manage one or more lower systems (3) that transport the transported object (92) by selecting one or more lower systems (3) as the adopted system based on the quotation information (D3) from the lower system (3). Therefore, for example, when there is a transport means that is not performing work, the lower system (3) can output quotation information (D3) to acquire the work to be performed by this transport means, making it easier to effectively utilize this transport means. As a result, the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) has the advantage of making it easier to effectively utilize transport means.

In the transportation management system (1, 1A, 1B) relating to the second aspect, in the first aspect, each of the multiple lower-level systems (3) has an estimate generation unit (33) that generates estimate information (D3) based on recruitment information (D2).

According to this aspect, since quotation information (D3) is generated in each of the multiple lower-level systems (3), it is possible to generate quotation information (D3) corresponding to recruitment information (D2).

In the transportation management system (1, 1A, 1B) relating to the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the upper system (2) generates multiple pieces of recruitment information (D2) for one request information (D1).

According to this aspect, for example, multiple pieces of recruitment information (D2) each having a different route are generated, which increases the variety of recruitment information (D2) for carrying out the request information (D1), making it easier to utilize a more appropriate means of transportation.

In the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the recruitment information (D2) includes a plurality of recruitment items each corresponding to a plurality of divided routes included in the route from the departure point to the destination. The lower system (3) outputs estimate information (D3) to the upper system (2) as a response to each of the plurality of recruitment items.

According to this aspect, it is possible to obtain estimate information (D3) for each of multiple recruitment items corresponding to multiple divided routes included in the route from the departure point to the destination.

In the transportation management system (1, 1A, 1B) relating to the fifth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the upper system (2) obtains quotation information (D3) from the lower system (3) for the corresponding recruitment items in the order of multiple divided routes from the departure point to the destination.

According to this aspect, estimate information (D3) is obtained in the order of multiple divided routes from the departure point to the destination, so that it is possible to select the systems to be adopted in the order in which the transport of the transported item (92) will be carried out.

In the transportation management system (1, 1A, 1B) relating to the sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, the upper system (2) determines the content of the next recruitment item based on the estimate information (D3) obtained from the lower system (3).

According to this embodiment, the contents of the quotation information (D3) can be reflected in the contents of the next recruitment item.

In the seventh aspect of the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B), in any of the first to sixth aspects, each of the multiple lower-level systems (3) has identification information and responds by including the identification information in the estimate information (D3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to identify each of the multiple lower-level systems (3) using the identification information included in the estimate information (D3).

In the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to the eighth aspect, in any of the first to seventh aspects, the multiple lower-level systems (3) include a first lower-level system (3) and at least one second lower-level system (3), with the upper-level system (2) as the highest node. The first lower-level system (3) is an adjacent lower-level node of the upper-level system (2). At least one second lower-level system (3) is an adjacent lower-level node of the first lower-level system (3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to realize a hierarchical structure with multiple lower-level systems (3).

In the transportation management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to the ninth aspect, in the eighth aspect, the first lower-level system (3) outputs sub-recruitment information (D2) based on the recruitment information (D2) acquired from the upper system (2) to at least one second lower-level system (3). In response to the sub-recruitment information (D2), the first lower-level system (3) acquires sub-quotation information (D3) regarding the transportation of the transported item (92) from each of the at least one second lower-level system (3). The first lower-level system (3) uses the sub-quotation information (D3) acquired from each of the at least one second lower-level system (3) to select one or more second lower-level systems (3) as sub-recruited systems from among the at least one second lower-level system (3). The first lower-level system (3) causes the sub-recruited system to transport the transported item (92).

According to this embodiment, the upper system (2), which is the general contractor, outsources the work of transportation to the first lower system (3), which is the subcontractor, and the first lower system (3) can further outsource the work of transportation to the second lower system (3), which is the subcontractor.

In the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to the tenth aspect, in any of the first to ninth aspects, the recruitment information (D2) includes attribute information relating to attributes of the transported item (92). Each of the plurality of lower systems (3) generates estimate information (D3) according to the attribute information.

According to this aspect, estimate information (D3) is generated according to the attributes of the transported item (92), making it easier to utilize a more appropriate transport means.

The information processing system (2) of the 11th aspect is used as a host system (2) for a transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) of any of the first to tenth aspects.

This aspect has the advantage of making it easier to make effective use of the transport means.

The information processing system (3) of the 12th aspect is used as a sub-system (3) in the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) of any of the first to tenth aspects.

This aspect has the advantage of making it easier to make effective use of the transport means.

The transport management system transport execution system (10, 10B) relating to the 13th aspect comprises an information processing system (3) relating to the 12th aspect and a transport device (4) that transports the transported item (92).

This aspect has the advantage of making it easier to make effective use of the transport means.

The conveying device (4) of the 14th aspect comprises an information processing system (3) of the 12th aspect and a main body (41) on which the information processing system (3) is mounted and which conveys the transported object (92).

This aspect has the advantage of making it easier to make effective use of the transport means.

The transportation management method according to the fifteenth aspect includes a request process, a recruitment process, an estimate process, a selection process, and an execution process. The request process is a process in which request information (D1) instructing the transportation of an item (92) from a departure point to a destination is input to a higher-level system (2). The recruitment process is a process in which the higher-level system (2) outputs recruitment information (D2) based on the request information (D1) to a plurality of lower-level systems (3). The estimate process is a process in which, in response to the recruitment information (D2), each of the plurality of lower-level systems (3) outputs estimate information (D3) regarding the transportation of the item (92) to the higher-level system (2). The selection process is a process in which one or more lower-level systems (3) are selected as adopted systems from among the plurality of lower-level systems (3) based on the estimate information (D3) acquired from each of the plurality of lower-level systems (3). The execution process is a process in which the adopted system is caused to carry out the transportation of the item (92).

According to this aspect, the upper system (2) can obtain quotation information (D3) from the lower systems (3) by outputting recruitment information (D2) to the lower systems (3). Then, the transport of the transported object (92) can be realized by one or more lower systems (3) selected based on the quotation information (D3). That is, in order for any lower system (3) to undertake the transport of a certain transported object (92), the lower system (3) will voluntarily output quotation information (D3) in response to the recruitment information (D2). On the other hand, the upper system (2) can manage one or more lower systems (3) that transport the transported object (92) by selecting one or more lower systems (3) as the adopted system based on the quotation information (D3) from the lower system (3). Therefore, for example, when there is a transport means that is not performing work, the lower system (3) can output quotation information (D3) to acquire the work to be performed by this transport means, making it easier to effectively utilize this transport means. As a result, the transport management method has the advantage of making it easier to effectively utilize transport means.

The program relating to the 16th aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the transportation management method relating to the 15th aspect.

This aspect has the advantage of making it easier to make effective use of the transport means.

Without being limited to the above aspects, various configurations (including modified examples) of the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) relating to embodiment 1, embodiment 2 and embodiment 3 can be embodied in a transport management method or program.

The configurations relating to the second to tenth aspects are not essential components of the transport management system (1, 1A, 1B) and can be omitted as appropriate.

1, 1A, 1B Transport management system 2 Upper system (information processing system)
3. Subsystem (information processing system)
4 Transport device 10, 10B Transport execution system 33 Estimate generation unit 41 Main unit D1 Request information D2 Recruitment information (sub-recruitment information)
D3 Estimate information (sub-estimate information)

Claims (13)

An information processing system, comprising: a host system to which request information instructing transportation of an article from a departure point to a destination is input;
A plurality of lower systems, each of which is an information processing system, acquires recruitment information based on the request information from the upper system,
The host system includes:
In response to the recruitment information, estimate information regarding the transportation of the item is acquired from each of the plurality of lower-level systems;
selecting one or more of the lower-level systems as an adopted system from among the lower-level systems based on the estimate information acquired from each of the lower-level systems;
causing the hiring system to carry out the transportation of the transported object ;
The recruitment information includes a plurality of recruitment items corresponding to a plurality of divided routes included in the route from the departure point to the destination,
the lower system outputs the estimate information to the upper system as a response to each of the plurality of recruitment items;
The upper system acquires the estimate information from the lower system for the corresponding recruitment items in the order of the plurality of divided routes from the departure point to the destination,
The upper system determines the content of the next recruitment item by reflecting the content of the quotation information acquired from the lower system in the next recruitment item of the plurality of recruitment items corresponding to the quotation information .
Transportation management system. The request information includes the departure point and the destination,
The upper system generates a plurality of pieces of recruitment information each having a different transportation route from the departure point to the destination based on one piece of request information.
The transportation management system according to claim 1 . each of the plurality of subsystems has identification information and responds by including the identification information in the quotation information;
The transportation management system according to claim 1 or 2. The plurality of subsystems include
With the host system as the top node,
a first lower system that is an adjacent lower node of the higher system;
At least one second subsystem that is an adjacent subordinate node of the first subsystem;
The transport management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The first subsystem includes:
outputting sub-recruitment information based on the recruitment information acquired from the upper system to the at least one second lower system;
In response to the sub-recruitment information, sub-quotation information regarding the transportation of the transport item is obtained from each of the at least one second subsystem;
Using the sub-quotation information acquired from each of the at least one second subsystem, select one or more second subsystems from the at least one second subsystem as a sub-adopted system;
causing the sub-recruiting system to carry out the transportation of the transported object;
The transport management system according to claim 4. The recruitment information includes attribute information regarding attributes of the transport item,
each of the plurality of subsystems generates the quotation information according to the attribute information;
The transport management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Each of the plurality of subsystems has an estimate generating unit that generates the estimate information based on the recruitment information.
The transport management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A system for use as the host system in the transport management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Information processing system. A system for use as the lower system in the transport management system according to claim 7.
Information processing system. An information processing system according to claim 9 ;
A conveying device that conveys the conveyed object,
Transportation execution system. An information processing system according to claim 9 ;
a main body unit on which the information processing system is mounted and which transports the transported object;
Conveying device. A transportation management method for a transportation management system including a host system that is an information processing system and a plurality of lower systems, each of which is an information processing system, comprising:
A request process in which the upper system receives input of request information instructing transportation of an article from a departure point to a destination;
a recruitment process in which the plurality of lower systems acquire recruitment information based on the request information from the upper system;
an estimate process in which the upper system acquires estimate information regarding the transportation of the item from each of the plurality of lower systems in response to the recruitment information;
a selection process in which the upper system selects one or more lower systems as adopted systems from among the plurality of lower systems based on the estimate information acquired from each of the plurality of lower systems;
The host system has an execution process for causing the adoption system to execute the transportation of the transport object,
The recruitment information includes a plurality of recruitment items corresponding to a plurality of divided routes included in the route from the departure point to the destination,
the lower system outputs the estimate information to the upper system as a response to each of the plurality of recruitment items;
The upper system acquires the estimate information from the lower system for the corresponding recruitment items in the order of the plurality of divided routes from the departure point to the destination,
The upper system determines the content of the next recruitment item by reflecting the content of the quotation information acquired from the lower system in the next recruitment item of the plurality of recruitment items corresponding to the quotation information.
Transportation management methods. A program for causing one or more processors to execute the transportation management method according to claim 12.

Images