JP7609722B2 - Delivery storage system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a delivery storage system that is used in detached houses, apartment buildings, etc. to store deliveries made by delivery personnel when the residents are not at home.

A delivery box is a device that allows residents to receive parcels delivered by a delivery person when they are not at home. In particular, in recent years, as mail order sales have become widespread, the number of daily deliveries has increased dramatically, and the value of delivery boxes that can minimize the need for delivery people to redeliver parcels when residents are not at home has increased. For example, the delivery box described in Patent Document 1 is a typical box-shaped box that is installed in front of the entrance to a detached house or apartment building, and has an opening and closing door with a locking mechanism, and is designed to prevent third parties from taking parcels without permission.

JP-A-6-100081 (page 3, Figure 6)

To use a delivery box, the resident unlocks the door before going out, and the delivery person opens the door to place the delivery inside, then locks it to prevent theft by a third party. When the resident returns home, they unlock it, open the door, and remove the delivery. In this way, it is common for the resident to unlock the delivery box beforehand. However, if the resident forgets to unlock the delivery box or does not unlock the box because they are not aware that a delivery is scheduled, the delivery person cannot open the door to place the delivery inside, and instead takes the delivery home, which creates the problem of having to redelive the delivery.

The present invention was developed to address these problems, and aims to provide a delivery storage system that can prevent redelivery of deliveries.

In order to solve the above problems, the delivery storage system of the present invention comprises:
The system includes an intercom installed in a residence and having a communication means, a delivery box having a communication function, and a mobile communication terminal carried by a resident of the residence,
the intercom has a notification function that can send a specific notification to the mobile communication terminal via the Internet when a visitor notification button is pressed;
the mobile communication terminal has an unlocking operation means for unlocking a door of the delivery box via the Internet,
The delivery box can detect the presence or absence of a delivery by a delivery detection means provided therein and transmit the detection information to the intercom,
The intercom notifies the mobile communication terminal of the detection information and is equipped with a calculation means for calculating the free space inside the delivery box, and is capable of converting the calculated free space information into the standard delivery size that can be loaded into the free space inside the box and notifying the mobile communication terminal .
According to this feature, when the delivery person presses the visit notification button on the intercom, a specific notification is sent to the resident's mobile communication terminal, so that the resident can be notified of the delivery person's visit. The resident can unlock the door of the delivery box from outside the home via the Internet as needed, so that the delivery person can open the door and place the delivery inside, preventing the need for redelivery.

The portable communication terminal can display a call screen enabling a call to be made with the interphone via the Internet, and the unlocking operation means can be operated on the call screen.
According to this feature, the unlocking operation means can be operated on the call screen between the intercom and a mobile communication terminal, so that the resident can confirm that the remote unlocking of the opening and closing door locking means has been completed without interrupting the call.

The interphone is characterized in that, when there is a change in the received detection information, the availability status is updated and displayed on the portable communication terminal.
This feature allows residents to accurately check the availability of delivery lockers in real time, and based on this accurate information, they can guide the delivery person to place their parcel in the delivery locker, as well as confirm that the parcel has been placed in the locker.

The intercom is equipped with a distance measuring means for measuring the three-dimensional dimensions of the delivery item, and is capable of determining whether or not the item can be loaded into the delivery box based on the measured three-dimensional dimension information of the delivery item and the available space information calculated by the calculation means, and of notifying the mobile communication terminal of the determined whether or not the item can be loaded.
According to this feature, the decision as to whether or not a package can be placed in the delivery box is made without the intervention of the delivery person or the resident, thereby preventing human error and enabling the delivery operation to be completed quickly.

1 is a system diagram showing a delivery storage system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outdoor unit constituting an intercom system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an indoor unit constituting an intercom. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a gateway terminal constituting an intercom system. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a delivery box with the door closed and the door open, respectively. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a delivery person arrives at the front door. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a call screen of an application opened on the portable communication terminal. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a delivery box in a delivery storage system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a call screen of an application opened on the portable communication terminal according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an outdoor unit constituting an intercom according to a third embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a call screen of an application opened on a mobile communication terminal in accordance with Example 3, in which (a) shows the display when loading is possible, and (b) shows the display when loading is not possible.

The following describes an embodiment of the delivery storage system according to the present invention.

A delivery storage system according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. The delivery storage system in this embodiment is a system that, when a delivery person visits a resident while the resident is absent, causes the delivery to be placed in a delivery box, thereby preventing redelivery.

As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery storage system 1 is configured with a delivery box 2 installed at the entrance of a residence such as a detached house or an apartment building, an intercom 3 installed in the residence, a mobile communication terminal 4 carried by the resident who is the user of the delivery box 2 and intercom 3, and a server 5 that provides the services of the delivery storage system 1.

The server 5 is connected to the Internet and has a correspondence management means capable of linking and managing a unique user ID set for each resident who is a user of the service provided by the provider, a unique box ID set for the delivery box 2 used by the resident, a unique ID set for the intercom 3 used by the resident (the terminal ID of the gateway terminal 8 described below), and a unique mobile ID set for the mobile communication terminal 4 carried by the resident. The server 5 also has a calculation means.

The intercom 3 is composed of an outdoor unit 6, an indoor unit 7, and a gateway terminal 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the outdoor unit 6 is fixed near the front door or on the gate, and is equipped with an imaging means 9, a microphone 10, a speaker 11, a call button 12, and a delivery button 13. The call button 12 and the delivery button 13 form a visitor notification button that can be pressed by a visitor. The outdoor unit 6 is also connected to the indoor unit 7 via a wire so that it can communicate with it, and is also connected to the gateway terminal 8 and the delivery box 2 via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi so that it can communicate with it.

As shown in FIG. 3, the indoor unit 7 is equipped with a display screen 14, a microphone 15, a speaker 16, a call button 17, an end button 18, and an answering machine setting button 19. Although this is a widely used technology and will not be described in detail here, when the call button 12 on the outdoor unit 6 is pressed, a ring tone is played from the speaker 16 on the indoor unit 7. Also, by pressing the call button 17, a call can be made using the speakers 11, 16 and microphones 10, 15 on both sides. In addition, an image of a person standing in front can be viewed on the display screen 14 of the indoor unit 7 by the imaging means 9 of the outdoor unit 6.

As shown in FIG. 4, the gateway terminal 8 includes a wireless communication means 20, an Internet communication means 21, and an MPU 22.

As shown in FIG. 5, the delivery box 2 is a hexahedron made of metal plate or the like, one of which is open, with the opening 2a being openable and closable by an opening door 25. The opening door 25 is provided with a locking means 26. The locking means 26 is a numeric keypad that allows the physical locking mechanism to be locked from the outside, and also has a drive means (not shown) that drives the locking mechanism. The delivery box 2 also has wireless communication means and a power source (not shown), and is capable of communicating with the outdoor unit 6 via the wireless communication means.

The interior space of the delivery box 2 is divided into upper and lower sections by shelves 29. Sensors 28A and 28B (delivery detection means), which are strain gauges, are installed in the divided spaces 27A and 27B, respectively, to detect the contents. The detection information of these sensors 28A and 28B can be transmitted to the outdoor unit 6 by wireless communication means. In this embodiment, the upper divided space 27A has a capacity to hold size 60 deliveries, and the lower divided space 27B has a capacity to hold size 80 deliveries.

A specific application is installed on the mobile communication terminal 4 owned by a resident who is a user of the service provided by the provider company. When using the application, a user ID and password are set in advance. The set user ID and password, together with a mobile ID used in a signaling protocol such as SIP, are sent to the server 5 via the cellular line of the mobile communication terminal 4 or the Internet via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi, and are managed by the correspondence management means.

In the server 5, the user ID is associated with the mobile ID, the terminal ID of the gateway terminal 8, which is a communication device, and the box ID of the delivery box, and managed by the correspondence management means. In the application, a screen (not shown) is displayed that prompts the user to enter the user ID and password, and the entered user ID and password are sent to the server 5 for authentication.

If the user ID and password received from the mobile communication terminal 4 via the application are correct, the server 5 has the function of identifying the IP address of the corresponding gateway terminal 8 using a signaling protocol and enabling mutual communication between the gateway terminal 8 and the mobile communication terminal 4 running the application.

Next, the functions of the delivery storage system that can be used by a resident who is a user of the service provided by the provider company when going out will be explained with reference to Figs. 6 and 7, assuming a case where a delivery person actually visits. When going out, the resident starts an application on the mobile communication terminal 4 in advance and changes to away mode. A notification of the change to away mode is sent to the server 5 together with identification information that identifies the resident or the resident's house (either a user ID or mobile ID, the terminal ID of the gateway terminal 8, or a box ID, or a combination thereof). Based on the change notification, the server 5 sends an instruction to start away mode via the Internet to the outdoor unit 6 of the corresponding resident's house. The resident can also start and end away mode by pressing the away setting button 19 (see Fig. 3) on the indoor unit 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, the delivery button 13 is a button dedicated to the delivery person's response, and is marked with an image of a cardboard box containing a delivery item so that it can be distinguished at a glance from a normal call button. When the delivery button 13 is pressed, the outdoor unit 6 notifies the server 5 via the gateway terminal 8 that a delivery person has arrived (notification function).

The server 5 processes the visit notification for the mobile communication terminal 4 based on the identification information of the sender of the visit notification (notification function). In detail, the server 5 refers to the information managed by the correspondence management means, and uses a signaling protocol to identify the IP address of the mobile communication terminal 4 that corresponds to the terminal ID of the gateway terminal 8 to which the outdoor unit 6, which is the sender of the visit notification, is connected, and uses the IP address to enable the gateway terminal 8 (and the outdoor unit 6) and the mobile communication terminal 4 to communicate with each other via the Internet.

The outdoor unit 6 sends a call notification to the mobile communication terminal 4. Call notifications are common and will not be described in detail here, but they are a ringtone or push notification that occurs when an application is running in the background. When the resident responds to the call notification by tapping, etc., the application is started and a call is established between the outdoor unit 6 and the mobile communication terminal 4. This call state is, for example, a call state using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), and in addition to audio conversation, the image captured by the imaging means 9 of the outdoor unit 6 can be viewed on the mobile communication terminal 4 (see Figure 7).

As shown in FIG. 7, the call screen 30 of the mobile communication terminal 4 displays a video display 31 that displays an image captured by the imaging means 9 of the outdoor unit 6, as well as a lock button 32 that can be used to send an instruction to lock the locking means 26 and an unlock button 33 that can be used to send an instruction to unlock it, and locking and unlocking can be performed from the mobile communication terminal 4 side as needed (unlocking operation means), and the color of either the lock button 32 or the unlock button 33 can be highlighted to allow one to distinguish whether the state is locked or unlocked at that time.

The call screen 30 also displays an availability indicator 34 that indicates the availability of the delivery box 2 at that time. The availability indicator 34 displays whether or not cargo can be placed in the divided spaces 27A and 27B, based on the detection information received from the sensors 28A and 28B.

The resident talks to the delivery person to find out the size of the delivered item B. The resident then refers to the availability display 34 and gives appropriate instructions to the delivery person. For example, if the availability display 34 indicates that a delivery item is in the upper divided space 27A and that it is possible to place the item in the lower divided space 27B, and the delivered item B is a size 60, the resident will verbally instruct the delivery person to place the item in the lower divided space 27B of the home delivery box 2, since the lower divided space 27B can accommodate items up to a size 80.

In the state shown in FIG. 7, a delivery has been placed in the upper divided space 27A, i.e., another delivery person has locked the delivery box 2 after placing the item inside. This can be determined by the fact that the lock button 32 is highlighted on the call screen 30. Therefore, the resident taps the unlock button 33 to unlock the locking means 26, making it possible to place items in the lower divided space 27B of the delivery box 2 (unlock operation means).

In more detail, when the unlock button 33 is pressed, an unlock instruction is sent from the mobile communication terminal 4 to the server 5, and the server 5 transmits the unlock instruction to the corresponding outdoor unit 6. This unlock instruction is sent without using a signaling protocol, etc., because the mobile communication terminal 4 and the outdoor unit 6 are already in a state where they can communicate.

The outdoor unit 6, which has received the unlock command, issues an unlock command to the delivery box 2 using wireless communication means. In accordance with the unlock command, the delivery box 2 unlocks the locking means 26 by driving the drive means. As instructed, the delivery person places the package in the lower partition space 27B, locks the delivery box 2, and reports the completion of the delivery operation by phone.

When loading is performed into the lower partition space 27B, the sensor 28B detects the delivery B, and the detection information is sent to the server 5. The server 5 updates in real time the portion of the lower partition space 27B in the availability display 34 on the call screen 30 to indicate that loading is unavailable.

In this way, in the delivery storage system 1 in this embodiment, the outdoor unit 6 constituting the intercom 3 has a notification function that can send a visitor notification (specific notification) to the mobile communication terminal 4 via the Internet when the delivery button 13 that notifies the resident of a visit is pressed, and the mobile communication terminal 4 has an unlocking operation means that can unlock the locking means 26 of the opening and closing door 25 of the delivery box 2 via the Internet. According to this, when the delivery person presses the delivery button 13, a visitor notification is sent to the resident's mobile communication terminal 4, and the resident can know that the delivery person is coming. In addition, the resident can unlock the locking means 26 of the delivery box 2 as needed from outside the home via the Internet. Therefore, even if the resident forgets to unlock the door before going out or is unable to unlock the door because they are not aware that a delivery is scheduled, by remotely unlocking the door in time with the delivery person's arrival, the delivery person can open the opening and closing door 25 and reliably load the delivery B, preventing the occurrence of redelivery.

The unlock button 33, which serves as the unlocking operation means, is displayed operably on the call screen 30 between the outdoor unit 6 and the mobile communication terminal 4, so the resident can confirm during the call that the locking means 26 has been remotely unlocked, and can reliably guide the resident to place the delivery item B in the delivery box 2 without disconnecting the call.

In addition, residents can check the availability of the delivery box 2 using the availability display 34 displayed on the mobile communication terminal 4, so they can guide the delivery person to place the parcel in the delivery box 2 based on accurate information.

In addition, when a delivery is placed in the divided spaces 27A, 27B, the sensors 28A, 28B detect the delivery and transmit the detection information to the server 5, which then updates the availability display 34 on the call screen 30 in real time. This allows the resident to accurately check the availability of the delivery box 2 in real time, and based on the accurate information, can guide the delivery person to place the delivery in the delivery box 2, as well as confirm that the placement is complete.

Next, the delivery storage system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Note that components that are the same as those shown in the previous embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the delivery box 42 in Example 2 has no internal partitions and is equipped with one large luggage compartment. It also has multiple height detection sensors 44 on the inner surface of the top plate 43.

As shown in FIG. 9, the call screen 40 of the mobile communication terminal 4 displays the video display 31, the lock button 32, the unlock button 33, and the availability display 45. Detection information from the height detection sensor 44 (delivery detection means) of the delivery box 2 is sent to the outdoor unit 6. The calculation unit A (see FIG. 2) of the outdoor unit 6 calculates the availability from the received height detection information, in this case how much space is available in the vertical direction, in other words, the available space for a cardboard box of a general shape (including a certain degree of error) that can be loaded. As a result, the available size is displayed on the availability display 45.

The resident talks to the delivery person and finds out what size the delivered item B is. The resident then refers to the availability display 45 and gives the delivery person appropriate instructions while unlocking the door. For example, if a size 60 item is already inside the locker and there is space above it for a size 80 item, the availability display 45 will show that an 80-size item can be placed inside, and if there is no item inside the locker, the availability display 45 will show that there is total space available for a size 120 item.

In this way, the delivery box 42 does not have any partitions, and the delivery box 42 itself detects changes in the available capacity, appropriately determines the size of the cargo that can be placed in, and indicates this available size to the mobile communication terminal 4. This allows for flexible placement of various sizes of cargo, and there is no limit to the number of cargoes that can be placed in until the available capacity is reached, effectively preventing the occurrence of redelivery.

Next, a delivery storage system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. Note that components that are the same as those shown in the previous embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

The outdoor unit 46 is equipped with a distance measuring means. The distance measuring means can measure an object in three dimensions by irradiating a pulse of laser light or the like and measuring the time it takes for the light to be received. As shown in FIG. 10, the distance measuring means is composed of a module unit 47 consisting of an irradiating section and a light receiving section that is installed near the imaging means 9, and a calculation unit A that is built into the outdoor unit 46.

The distance measuring means can measure the three-dimensional dimensions of a delivery placed within a specified angle of view and a specified distance from the front side of the outdoor unit 46. The calculation unit A can then determine which size of commonly shaped cardboard box it corresponds to.

The outdoor unit 46 further calculates the available space for a cardboard box of a certain size based on the detection information from the height detection sensor 44 of the delivery box 42 (see FIG. 8), and determines whether the delivery item B brought by the delivery person is of a size that can be placed in the delivery box 42 at that time (determination process). As shown in FIG. 11, the result of this determination process is displayed on the call screen 50 of the mobile communication terminal 4 as a possibility indicator 51 indicating whether the item can be placed or not. The resident refers to this possibility indicator 51 to give appropriate instructions to the delivery person and perform the unlocking operation.

In this way, the outdoor unit 46's distance measuring means measures the three-dimensional dimensions of the delivery item, the delivery box 42 itself detects changes in the available space, and a decision is made as to whether or not the delivery item B brought by the delivery person can be placed in the delivery box 42 at that time, all without the intervention of the delivery person or the resident's judgment, which prevents the occurrence of human error and enables the delivery work to be completed quickly.

As shown in FIG. 11(a), a measurement start button 52 is displayed on the call screen 50. When the measurement start button 52 is tapped, the outdoor unit 46 starts the delivery measurement process and guides the delivery person through the speaker 11 on the procedure. For example, voice announcements such as holding the delivery B in front of the outdoor unit 46, "Please move the delivery away", "Please lift the delivery", and "Please hold all six sides in order" are made as necessary to accurately measure the three-dimensional dimensions.

Also, as shown in FIG. 11(b), if delivery item B is too large for the available space in the delivery box and cannot be placed in the box, the availability indicator 51 will indicate that it cannot be placed in the box. In that case, the resident can take measures such as asking the delivery person to place the item on the floor in a specified location.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the unlocking command from the mobile communication terminal 4 is sent to the gateway terminal 8 via the Internet, relayed through the outdoor unit 6 connected to the gateway terminal 8 via a local network, and then sent to the delivery box 2 connected to the outdoor unit 6 via the local network. However, this is not limited to the above, and for example, the outdoor unit 6 may be directly connectable to the Internet, or the delivery box 2 may be directly connectable to the Internet.

In the above embodiment, when the away mode is started, pressing the delivery button 13 (visitor notification button) causes the outdoor unit 6 to attempt communication between the delivery person and the mobile communication terminal 4. However, this is not limited to the above. For example, if there is no response from the indoor unit 7 until a preset time has elapsed after pressing the call button 12 (visitor notification button), the outdoor unit 6 may determine that the person is not at home and automatically attempt communication between the delivery person and the mobile communication terminal 4.

The delivery detection means provided in the delivery box 2 is not limited to strain gauges such as sensors 28A and 28B in the first embodiment, but may be, for example, an infrared sensor or a weight sensor. Similarly, it is not limited to the height detection sensor 44 in the second embodiment, but may be, for example, a distance measuring means similar to that provided in the outdoor unit 46 in the third embodiment.

In addition, in the above-mentioned second embodiment, the calculation unit A of the outdoor unit 6 is configured to convert the internal free space into the standard delivery size that can be loaded based on the information detected by the height detection sensor 44 and display it on the call screen 40, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the free space may be displayed as a three-dimensional image, or the three-dimensional dimensions of the free space may be displayed.

In addition, in the above-described third embodiment, the calculation unit A of the outdoor unit 6 is configured to determine whether or not the load can be loaded by comparing the free space inside with the three-dimensional dimensions of the load measured by the distance measuring means based on the detection information from the height detection sensor 44. However, this is not limited to the above, and for example, the three-dimensional dimensions of the free space may be directly compared with the three-dimensional dimensions of the load to determine whether or not the load can be loaded.

In addition, when the delivery button 13 is pressed, the outdoor unit 6 notifies the mobile communication terminal 4 of the arrival of a delivery person, but the specific notification by this notification function is not limited to a visit notification and may be, for example, a notification that simply prompts the user to unlock the locking means 26 of the opening and closing door 25.

Needless to say, the delivery storage system of the present invention can be used without installing a delivery box and only for delivery to a designated area, but it can also accommodate a service of delivering packages to the interior of a house. In this case, the outdoor unit is configured to communicate with the front door locking device and unlock the door when an unlocking operation is performed from the mobile communication terminal 4. In this case, it is preferable to install a surveillance camera or the like inside the house from a security standpoint and record and manage the images captured by the outdoor unit's imaging means in accordance with the time axis.

1 Delivery storage system 2 Delivery box 2a Opening 3 Intercom 4 Mobile communication terminal 5 Server 6 Outdoor unit 7 Indoor unit 8 Gateway terminal 12 Call button (visitor notification button)
13 Delivery button (visitor notification button)
20 Wireless communication means 21 Internet communication means 27A, 27B Partition space 28A, 28B Sensor (delivery detection means)
32 Lock button 33 Unlock button (unlock operation means)
44 Height detection sensor (unlocking operation means)
47 Module section (distance measuring means)
A Calculation unit B Delivery item

Claims (4)

The system includes an intercom installed in a residence and having a communication means, a delivery box having a communication function, and a mobile communication terminal carried by a resident of the residence,
the intercom has a notification function that can send a specific notification to the mobile communication terminal via the Internet when a visitor notification button is pressed;
the mobile communication terminal has an unlocking operation means for unlocking a door of the delivery box via the Internet,
The delivery box can detect the presence or absence of a delivery by a delivery detection means provided therein and transmit the detection information to the intercom,
The intercom notifies the mobile communication terminal of the detection information and is equipped with a calculation means for calculating the available space inside the delivery box, and is capable of converting the calculated available space information into the standard delivery size that can be loaded into the delivery box and notifying the mobile communication terminal of the delivery storage system. The delivery storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that the mobile communication terminal can display a call screen that enables a call to be made to the interphone via the Internet, and the unlocking operation means can be operated on the call screen. 2. The delivery storage system according to claim 1 , wherein said intercom updates the availability status and displays it on said mobile communication terminal when there is a change in said received detection information. The intercom is characterized in that it is equipped with a distance measuring means for measuring the three-dimensional dimensions of the delivery item, and is capable of determining whether or not the delivery item can be loaded into the home delivery box based on the measured three-dimensional dimension information of the delivery item and the available space information calculated by the calculation means, and notifying the mobile communication terminal of the determined whether or not the delivery item can be loaded.

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