JP7624477B2 - Collection and delivery relay point determination device and collection and delivery relay point determination method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a collection and delivery relay point determination device and a collection and delivery relay point determination method.

In recent years, the practical use of drones and other flying objects in logistics has been progressing, and for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known.

Patent Document 1 discloses a parcel delivery system that includes a receiving point setting unit that sets a point on the route of a parcel recipient who is away from a delivery destination, where an aircraft flying in the air can land, as a receiving point, and which is on the route to the delivery destination, an estimated arrival time acquisition unit that acquires the estimated arrival time of the recipient at the receiving point, and an operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan for the aircraft holding the parcel so that the aircraft will arrive at the receiving point at the estimated arrival time.

JP 2018-097444 A

However, the above conventional technologies are often targeted at urban areas due to the cost-effectiveness of economies of scale.

On the other hand, considering the role of logistics as a universal service, it is desirable to ensure convenience on a national scale while reducing the costs of collection and delivery operations in regional areas, where it is difficult to expect cost-effectiveness through economies of scale.

Some areas requiring collection and delivery services have low population density, are located far from collection and delivery centers, and are connected by narrow roads. In such cases, the low population density means that the distances between collection and delivery centers are long, which in turn means that the distances between collection and delivery centers and collection and delivery points are also long. Furthermore, roads are often not well maintained, making it necessary to transport goods long distances via narrow roads. Furthermore, the only means of transportation that can pass through narrow roads are small vehicles with low load capacity (weight). In other words, collection and delivery requires repeated round trips between collection and delivery centers and collection and delivery points, which is an obstacle to reducing costs.

Since the costs of universal services are often borne by all users, including those in urban areas as well as those in rural areas, reducing the costs of collection and delivery operations in rural areas will ultimately lead to a reduction in the cost burden of universal services for users in urban areas as well.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a collection and delivery relay point determination device and a collection and delivery relay point determination method that can reduce the cost of collection and delivery operations.

The present application includes multiple means for solving the above problem, and one example is a method for determining the number and location of at least one relay point that relays items transported by a relay transport means between a collection and delivery route, which is a route taken by a collection and delivery means when collecting and delivering items to one or more collection and delivery destinations, such that a predicted section handling volume of the items in each section of the collection and delivery route separated by the relay point does not exceed the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means, and outputting the number and location of the relay points.

This invention can reduce the cost of collection and delivery operations.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic collection and delivery process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the total weight handled in a collection and delivery area, the handling means, and the load capacity. 1 is a diagram illustrating a collection and delivery relay point determination device in a collection and delivery system together with related configuration. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a process for determining a relay point. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a case where an equilateral triangle is used as a regular polygon capable of regular plane tessellation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a case where a square is used as a regular polygon capable of regular tessellation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a case where a regular hexagon is used as a regular polygon capable of regular plane tessellation. 10 is a flowchart showing the process of relay point determination processing for determining relay points by a collection and delivery relay point determination device; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting a collection and delivery area by filling a regular plane with squares and setting relay points. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a case where collection and delivery sections (meshes) and relay points are set when the population density is 1/4 compared to the case of FIG. 9 . FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the population density of a collection and delivery area and the installation density of relay points. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of differences in usage status of relay points when demand for collection and delivery varies from day to day. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of differences in usage status of relay points when demand for collection and delivery varies from day to day. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a case where some or all of a plurality of relay points are visited multiple times on a day of high demand to transship items. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of relay points when the width of a collection and delivery area is less than the interval between relay points. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the placement of relay points when the width of a collection and delivery area is less than the interval between relay points, and when additional relay points are used on days of high demand. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the same relay point is visited multiple times on a day of high demand to transship items. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in the load of a collection and delivery vehicle over time during delivery, and shows the state during normal demand. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in the load of a collection and delivery vehicle over time during delivery, and shows the state during times of high demand. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in the load of a collection/delivery vehicle over time during collection, and shows the state during normal demand. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in the load of a collection/delivery vehicle over time during collection, and shows the state during times of high demand.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the basic collection and delivery process for this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the collection and delivery area 30 targeted for collection and delivery using the collection and delivery system according to this embodiment, there are arranged a collection and delivery base 20 (logistics base) that serves as the base for collection and delivery of items, a collection and delivery means 10 that travels to multiple (m locations) collection and delivery destinations 22-1 to 22-m (m is a positive integer) to collect and deliver items, at least one (n locations) relay point 21-1 to 21-n (n is a positive integer) where the collection and delivery means 10 is incorporated into a collection and delivery route that travels to multiple collection and delivery destinations 22-1 to 22-m and relays items transported between the collection and delivery base 20, and relay transport means 11-1 to 11-n (n is a positive integer) that transport items between each of the relay points 21-1 to 21-n and the collection and delivery base 20.

Here, "collection" includes both "collection" of collecting and storing items from the collection and delivery destination, and "delivery" of delivering items to the collection and delivery destination, and can refer to either collection or delivery, or both. Note that in this embodiment, for simplicity, the explanation is sometimes limited to the case of delivery, but the present invention can also be applied to the case of collection or both collection and delivery.

In the collection and delivery area 30, the collection and delivery means 10 leaves the collection and delivery base 20, travels around the relay points 21-1 to 21-n and the collection and delivery destinations 22-1 to 22-m in the collection and delivery area 30, and returns to the collection and delivery base 20. During this time, the relay transport means 11-1 to 11-n transport the items between the collection and delivery base 20 and the relay points 21-1 to 21-n, respectively, and transfers the items between the collection and delivery means 10 at the relay points 21-1 to 21-n.

Figure 2 shows the relationship between the total weight handled in the collection and delivery area and the handling means and load capacity, with the horizontal axis showing the total weight handled X and the vertical axis showing the handling means and their load capacity.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, if the collection and delivery means 10 is a motorbike with a maximum load capacity of 30 kg, when the total handling weight X in the collection and delivery area 30 is less than 30 kg, which is the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means 10 (motorcycle), collection and delivery in the collection and delivery area 30 can be performed by only one collection and delivery means 10 (motorcycle). Note that "load capacity" can also be rephrased as "load weight."

For example, if the collection and delivery means 10 is a motorcycle with a maximum load capacity of 30 kg, and the relay transport means 11 is an aircraft such as a drone, when the total handling weight X in the collection and delivery area 30 exceeds the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means 10 (motorcycle), 30 kg, the relay transport means 11 (drone) transports the items between the collection and delivery base 20 and relay points 21-1 to 21-n, and the items are transferred between the collection and delivery means 10 (motorcycle) and the relay transport means 11 (drone). As described above, the collection and delivery system according to this embodiment eliminates the need to make multiple round trips between the collection and delivery base 20 and the collection and delivery area 30 by the collection and delivery means 10 (motorcycle) or to prepare multiple collection and delivery means 10 (motorcycles), thereby improving the efficiency of collection and delivery.

Note that Figure 2 illustrates an example in which a motorcycle with a maximum load capacity of 30 kg is used as the collection and delivery means 10, and a drone with a maximum load capacity of 5 kg is used as the relay transport means 11. However, this is not limited to this, and it is also possible to use a light truck with a maximum load capacity of 350 kg as the collection and delivery means 10, or a large drone with a maximum load capacity of 30 kg or more as the relay transport means 11.

Figure 3 shows the collection and delivery relay point determination device and related configuration in the collection and delivery system according to this embodiment.

The collection and delivery relay point determination device 220 determines the number and locations of relay points 21-1 to 21-n to improve the efficiency of collection and delivery in the collection and delivery area 30.

As shown in FIG. 3, the configuration of the collection and delivery relay point determination device 220 of the collection and delivery system includes collection and delivery map information 110 having information such as data on relay point candidates, topographical data, and collection and delivery section area s, a population density database 120 having data on population density ρ, and handling record information 130 having data on handling occurrence rate α. The collection and delivery relay point determination device 220 uses information on relay point candidates and collection and delivery section area s from the collection and delivery map information 110, data on population density ρ from the population density database 120, and information on handling occurrence rate α from the handling record information 130 to determine the number and installation locations of relay points 21-1 to 21-n, and outputs the result as relay point data 420. Note that relay point data 420 may be optimal output data.

The method of determining the divisions of the delivery area 30 and calculating the area should be the same as the method of calculating the area that is the denominator when calculating the population density ρ. Normally, population density is calculated using the population and area of each administrative division, such as prefecture, state, province, district, county, and municipality city, town, and village, so the area of the delivery area 30 should be calculated based on the area on the map in units of town names or block codes that make up the range of the delivery area. Normally, the area of each administrative division is not calculated taking into account the presence or absence of houses, so the area of the delivery area 30 should also be calculated without taking into account the presence or absence of houses. If the area of the delivery area 30 is calculated taking into account the presence or absence of houses, the area will be smaller than when the population density ρ is calculated, and the predicted values for the population and handling volume will be smaller. Even if street addresses are used to display addresses, it is easier to calculate the area by dividing the delivery area 30 according to block addresses.

Figure 4 shows an example of the relay point determination process.

As shown in Figure 4, when determining relay points, the collection and delivery area 30 is divided into collection and delivery sections 31 of equal area, and relay point candidates are selected for each collection and delivery section while taking into consideration geographical constraints, etc. Furthermore, it is possible to determine optimal relay points by optimizing the area of each collection and delivery section 31.

First, in optimizing the area s of each collection and delivery section, a condition that the area s must satisfy is set. The section handling weight prediction value x in the delivery section belonging to each relay point is calculated by the following (Equation 1).
x=ρ・s・α...(Formula 1)

Here, x is the predicted weight handled in the section [kg], ρ is the population density of the collection and delivery area [people/km ² ], s is the area of the collection and delivery section [km ² ], and α is the handling occurrence rate [kg/person/day].

The predicted total handling weight X [kg] and the collection and delivery area S [km ² ] shown in FIG. 2 are related to the predicted section handling weight x [kg] and the collection and delivery section area s [km ² ] as X=Σx and S=Σs, respectively.

Here, in order for a collection and delivery method that uses a collection and delivery means 10 in combination with a relay transportation means 11 to be effective, it is necessary that the load capacity of the collection and delivery means 10 at each relay point (predicted section handling weight value x) does not exceed the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means 10, that is, it is necessary to satisfy the condition expressed by the following (Equation 2).
x=ρ・s・α<xmax...(Formula 2)

In addition, when taking into consideration prediction errors and daily fluctuations in the section handling weight, the condition expressed by the above (Equation 2) is provided with a margin and the condition expressed by the following (Equation 3) is used.
x=ρ・s・α=β・xmax ... (Formula 3)

Here, β is the margin coefficient (β = 0.5 to 0.8).

Next, we will explain how to divide the collection and delivery area 30 into collection and delivery sections 31.

One way to divide a plane is to use tessellation, which fills the plane with a finite number of plane figures without leaving any gaps. When using tessellation, it is preferable to use a regular tessellation, which fills the plane with one type of regular polygon, from the standpoint of isotropy and uniformity of area.

Figure 5 shows the case where an equilateral triangle is used as a regular polygon for which a regular plane tessellation can be performed, Figure 6 shows the case where a square is used, and Figure 7 shows the case where a regular hexagon is used.

For each of the cases of a regular tessellation using equilateral triangles (Figure 5), a regular tessellation using squares (Figure 6), and a regular tessellation using regular hexagons (Figure 7), the relay point interval d, which is the distance between midpoints, can be generalized by the following (Equation 4) using the coefficient K, the margin coefficient β, the collection and delivery area population density ρ, and the handling occurrence rate α.
d=K・sqrt(β・xmax/(ρ・α)) (Formula 4)

In the case of filling a regular plane with equilateral triangles as shown in FIG. 5, the collection and delivery section area s can be calculated by the following (Equation 5).
s=3・sqrt(3) ^d2 /4...(Formula 5)

Therefore, the relay point interval d can be calculated by the following (Equation 6), which is obtained from the above (Equation 4) and (Equation 5).
d=2・sqrt(sqrt(3)・β・xmax/(ρ・α))/3 (Formula 6)

In this case, the coefficient K = 2·sqrt(sqrt(3))/3.

In the case of a regular plane tessellation using squares as shown in FIG. 6, the collection and delivery section area s can be calculated by the following (Equation 7).
s= ^d2 ...(Formula 7)

Therefore, the relay point interval d can be calculated by the following (Equation 8) obtained from the above (Equation 4) and (Equation 7).
d=sqrt(β・xmax/(ρ・α)) (Formula 8)

In this case, the coefficient K = 1.

In the case of a regular plane tessellation using regular hexagons as shown in FIG. 7, the collection and delivery section area s can be calculated by the following (Equation 9).
s=sqrt(3)d ² /2 (Formula 9)

Therefore, the relay point interval d can be calculated by the following (Equation 10), which is obtained from the above (Equation 4) and (Equation 9).
d=sqrt(2・sqrt(3)・β・xmax/(3・ρ・α)) ... (Formula 10)

In this case, the coefficient K = sqrt(2 x sqrt(3) x 3).

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the process of determining relay points by the collection and delivery relay point determination device.

In FIG. 8, the collection and delivery relay point determination device 220 first reads relay point candidates from the collection and delivery map information 110, data on the collection and delivery area population density ρ from the population density database 120, and the handling occurrence rate α from the handling record information 130 (step S110).

Next, the relay point interval d is calculated using the above formula (4) (step S120). Note that the value of the coefficient K applied to formula (4) is determined by the type of regular polygon (equilateral triangle, square, regular hexagon) used for the regular plane tessellation.

Next, based on the relay point interval d calculated in step S130, a mesh (collection and delivery area) of a regular plane filling pattern using the selected regular polygons is set on the map (step S130).

Next, relay points are set from the relay point candidates for each mesh (collection and delivery area) set in step S130 (step S140). Note that it is desirable for the relay points to be as close as possible to the center of gravity of the mesh (collection and delivery area), but it is better to select a point as close as possible to the center of gravity while taking into consideration geographical conditions such as not being surrounded by natural barriers such as mountains or rivers, facing a road of a certain width, being away from residential areas, etc.

Figure 9 shows an example of setting up a collection and delivery area (mesh) using a regular plane tessellation of squares (Figure 6) and setting relay points.

As shown in Figure 9, the collection and delivery sections 31-1 to 31-5, which are made up of meshes with odd areas, are made up of two adjacent meshes whose total area is roughly the area of one mesh, and relay points are placed near the focal points of each collection and delivery section.

Figure 10 shows a case where collection and delivery areas (meshes) and relay points are set when the population density is, for example, 1/4 compared to the case in Figure 9.

As shown in Figure 10, when the population density is 1/4 of that in Figure 9, the mesh area s is 1/4 and the relay point interval d is 1/2. Even in this case, the collection and delivery section 31-1, which is made up of a mesh with an odd area, is made up of two adjacent meshes whose total area is approximately that of one mesh, and relay points are placed near the focal points of the collection and delivery section.

The same applies when setting up collection and delivery areas (mesh) using a regular plane tessellation with equilateral triangles (Figure 5) or a regular plane tessellation with regular hexagons (Figure 7).

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the population density of a collection and delivery area and the installation density of relay points in this embodiment. In Fig. 11, the horizontal axis shows the population density [people/ ^km2 ], and the vertical axis shows the installation density of relay points [locations/ ^km2 ].

As shown in FIG. 11, the collection and delivery relay point determination device 220 of the collection and delivery system in this embodiment can show a correlation between the installation density of relay points and the population density of the collection and delivery area.

Figures 12 and 13 show an example of the difference in the usage status of relay points when the demand for collection and delivery varies from day to day.

For example, even if the daily collection and delivery volume is roughly constant, if collection and delivery is suspended on holidays, the demand for collection and delivery may be higher after the holidays than on weekdays. Also, if there are ski resorts or golf courses in the collection and delivery area, the demand for collection and delivery of ski equipment may be higher during the ski season, and the demand for collection and delivery of golf equipment may be higher on holidays, and it may be necessary to introduce larger collection and delivery means 10 and relay transport means 11 that can transport cargo the size of such equipment.

As shown in FIG. 12, for example, on days when there is high demand for collection and delivery (high demand days), all relay points 21-1 to 21-16 may be used, and on days when there is normal demand, some of the relay points 21-1, 21-2, 21-5, 21-6, 21-9, 21-10, 21-13, and 21-16 may not be used.

As shown in FIG. 13, for example, relay points 21-1 to 21-4 can be set on days with normal demand, and additional relay points 21-5 to 21-9 can be used on days with high demand.

As shown in FIG. 14, for example, on a day of high demand, some or all of the multiple relay points 21-1 to 21-4 (including the collection and delivery base 20) may be visited multiple times to transfer items.

Figure 15 shows an example of the placement of relay points when the width of the collection and delivery area is less than the relay point interval.

As shown in FIG. 15, if the collection and delivery area is narrow and blocked by natural barriers such as mountains, rivers, and the sea, and the width is less than the interval between relay points, first, a smooth curve (e.g., a spline curve) passing through the relay points is drawn on the map, and the area of the collection and delivery area divided by the perpendicular lines of the obtained smooth curve is calculated as the collection and delivery section area s. The relay points are set so that the load capacity (section handling weight prediction value x) of the collection and delivery means 10 at each relay point obtained from the calculated collection and delivery section area s does not exceed the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means 10, that is, so that the condition in (Equation 2) above is satisfied. Note that when prediction errors and daily fluctuations in the section handling weight are taken into consideration, a margin is added to the condition expressed in (Equation 2) above, and the condition expressed in (Equation 3) above is used.

Figure 16 shows an example of the placement of relay points when the width of the collection and delivery area is less than the relay point interval as shown in Figure 15, and additional relay points are used on high demand days. Figure 17 shows an example of the case where the same relay point is visited multiple times on high demand days to transfer items for collection and delivery.

Figures 18 and 19 show the change in the load of a collection and delivery vehicle over time during delivery, with Figure 18 showing a time of normal demand and Figure 19 showing a time of high demand. In Figures 18 and 19, the horizontal axis shows time (in other words, distance traveled) and the vertical axis shows the load.

As shown in FIG. 18, for example, in the case of normal demand (e.g., weekdays), the relay points 21-1 and 21-3 are skipped, and only the relay points 21-2 and 21-4 are passed through. In this case, when the collection and delivery means 10 leaves the collection and delivery base 20, it is loaded with an amount close to the maximum load, and the load decreases as the delivery is made. In order to ensure the freedom of the order of the collection and delivery points and the relay points, and the route (room for optimization), the relay points 21-2 and 21-4 are reached with the remaining load. This is because if the relay points 21-2 and 21-4 are always approached after the load reaches 0 (zero), there is no room for the collection and delivery means 10 to select the order of the collection and delivery points and the relay points. Also, as shown in FIG. 19, for example, in the case of high demand (e.g., the day after a holiday), all the relay points 21-1 to 21-4 are passed through. Note that the relay points to be skipped may be changed depending on the demand for each day.

Figures 20 and 21 show the change in the load of a collection/delivery vehicle over time during collection, with Figure 20 showing a time of normal demand and Figure 21 showing a time of high demand. In Figures 20 and 21, the horizontal axis shows time (in other words, the distance traveled) and the vertical axis shows the load.

As shown in FIG. 20, for example, in the case of normal demand (e.g., weekdays), the relay points 21-1 and 21-3 are skipped, and only the relay points 21-2 and 21-4 are passed through. In this case, the load of the collection and delivery means 10 is almost 0 (zero) when the collection and delivery base 20 is departed, and the load increases as collection and delivery progresses. In order to ensure the freedom of the order of the collection and delivery points and the relay points and the route (room for optimization), the relay points 21-2 and 21-4 are reached with a margin up to the maximum load. This is because if the load always reaches the maximum load before arriving at the relay points 21-2 and 21-4, there will be no room for the collection and delivery means 10 to select the order of the collection and delivery points and the relay points. Also, as shown in FIG. 21, for example, in the case of high demand (e.g., the day after a holiday), all the relay points 21-1 to 21-4 are passed through. Note that the relay points to be skipped may be changed depending on the demand for each day. Collection and delivery may also be carried out simultaneously.

The effects of this embodiment configured as above are explained below.

The costs of universal logistics services are often borne by all users, including those in urban areas as well as those in rural areas, so reducing the costs of collection and delivery operations in rural areas will ultimately lead to a reduction in the cost burden of universal services for users in urban areas as well.

In this embodiment, the collection and delivery means is incorporated into a collection and delivery route, which is a route along which items are collected and delivered to one or more collection and delivery destinations, and the number and location of at least one relay point where items are relayed and transported by a relay transport means between the collection and delivery base, which is the base for the collection and delivery of the items, is determined so that the predicted section handling volume of items in each section divided by the relay points on the collection and delivery route does not exceed the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means, and the number and location of the relay points are output, thereby reducing the costs of collection and delivery operations.

For example, in collection and delivery areas with a handling volume of one light vehicle or more, adding a relay transport means to one light vehicle and collection and delivery worker can reduce the need for repeated round trips between the collection and delivery base and collection and delivery points, making collection and delivery operations more efficient. Also, by determining the installation intervals of relay points so that the predicted section handling volume on the route between the collection and delivery destinations of the collection and delivery means between relay points does not exceed the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means, it is possible to continue collection and delivery by the collection and delivery means while utilizing relay transportation by the relay transport means while ensuring that the weight of the items to be collected and delivered does not exceed the maximum load capacity.

<Additional Notes>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications and combinations within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to those having all the configurations described in the above-described embodiment, and includes those in which some of the configurations are deleted. Each of the configurations and functions described in the present embodiment may be realized by designing a part or all of them, for example, in an integrated circuit. Each of the configurations and functions described above may be realized by software, in which a processor interprets and executes a program that realizes each function.

1...Light vehicle, 10...Collection and delivery means, 11...Relay transport means, 20...Collection and delivery base, 21...Relay point, 22...Collection and delivery destination, 30...Collection and delivery area, 31...Collection and delivery section, 110...Collection and delivery map information, 120...Population density database, 130...Handling record information, 220...Collection and delivery relay point determination device, 420...Relay point data

Claims (10)

A collection and delivery relay point determination device that determines a relay point where a collection and delivery means and a relay transport means transfer items in a collection and delivery area,
Equipped with a processor,
The processor,
Read in the candidate relay points, the collection and delivery area population density, which indicates the population density of the collection and delivery area including the collection and delivery destination, and the handling occurrence rate,
a collection and delivery section area is set so that a section handling weight prediction value calculated using the collection and delivery area population density, the handling occurrence rate, and the collection and delivery section area does not exceed a maximum load capacity of a collection and delivery means, and a relay point interval is calculated based on the collection and delivery section area ;
Dividing a collection and delivery area based on the relay point intervals and setting a plurality of collection and delivery sections;
For each collection and delivery section, a location of a relay point is set from among the relay point candidates;
A collection and delivery relay point determination device that outputs the positions of the relay points. 2. The collection and delivery relay point determination device according to claim 1,
The collection and delivery relay point determination device is characterized in that the processor calculates the relay point interval so as to be inversely proportional to a value obtained by taking the square root of the product of the collection and delivery area population density and the handling occurrence rate. 3. The collection and delivery relay point determination device according to claim 1,
The collection and delivery relay point determination device is characterized in that the relay transport means is a means for transporting items to be collected and delivered between a collection and delivery base and the relay point. 3. The collection and delivery relay point determination device according to claim 1,
The collection and delivery relay point determination device is characterized in that the processor sets relay points near key points in each collection and delivery section. 2. The collection and delivery relay point determination device according to claim 1,
The processor,
A collection and delivery relay point determination device characterized in that it calculates a section handling weight prediction value using the collection and delivery area population density, the collection and delivery area area, and the handling occurrence rate, and calculates the relay point interval so that the calculated section handling weight prediction value does not exceed a value obtained by multiplying the maximum load capacity of the collection and delivery means by a margin coefficient. 3. The collection and delivery relay point determination device according to claim 1,
The processor,
A collection and delivery relay point determination device, characterized in that each collection and delivery section is divided by plane tessellation, which fills a plane with a finite number of plane figures without any gaps. 7. The collection and delivery relay point determination device according to claim 6,
The processor,
A collection and delivery relay point determination device, characterized in that the collection and delivery section is divided by a regular plane tessellation in which the collection and delivery section is filled with one type of regular polygon. 3. The collection and delivery relay point determination device according to claim 1,
The collection and delivery relay point determination device is characterized in that the relay transportation means is an aircraft. A method for determining a collection and delivery relay point in a collection and delivery area, the method comprising: determining a relay point where a collection and delivery means and a relay transport means transfer items to be collected and delivered by a processor;
The processor reads in a candidate relay point, a collection and delivery area population density indicating a population density of a collection and delivery area including a collection and delivery destination, and a handling occurrence rate;
a step of setting a collection and delivery section area so that a section handling weight forecast value calculated using the collection and delivery area population density, the handling occurrence rate, and a collection and delivery section area does not exceed a maximum load capacity of a collection and delivery means, and calculating a relay point interval based on the collection and delivery section area ;
The processor divides a collection and delivery area based on the relay point intervals and sets a plurality of collection and delivery sections ;
A step of the processor setting a position of a relay point from among the relay point candidates for each of the collection and delivery sections;
and a step of the processor outputting the location of the relay point. The method for determining a collection and delivery relay point according to claim 9,
The method for determining collection and delivery relay points, wherein the processor calculates the relay point interval so as to be inversely proportional to the square root of the product of the collection and delivery area population density and the handling occurrence rate.

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