JP7776585B2 - Stocker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stocker.

A system has been known in the past that includes a locker (storage unit) with multiple boxes (delivery warehouses) into which parcels delivered by delivery personnel can be placed, and a management device that manages the lockers (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this system, if the box selected by the delivery personnel is empty, it is registered as a reserved box. When the delivery personnel is about to place a parcel in the reserved box, an unlock signal is sent to the reserved box to open the door, and if the door does not open after the specified number of attempts, an error message is displayed indicating that a door opening malfunction has occurred.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-151154

The above-mentioned system is described as being able to respond to door opening failures, but does not take into account other situations that may arise. This makes it difficult to respond appropriately to various situations that arise other than door opening failures.

The main purpose of this invention is to enable appropriate responses to situations that occur in stockers.

The present invention employs the following means to achieve the above-mentioned primary objective.

The first stocker of the present invention comprises:
A stocker used in a stocker system including a stocker having a delivery warehouse with a lockable door and a management device that manages the stocker,
an open/closed state detection means for detecting the open/closed state of the door;
a control device capable of communicating with the management device and controlling locking and unlocking of the door;
Equipped with
The control device controls the door to be unlocked, and when the door continues to be detected as being open for a predetermined opening time or more after the door is detected as being open, the control device sends a notification to the management device that the door remains open.

The first stocker of the present invention controls the door of the delivery warehouse to be unlocked, and if the door continues to be detected as open for a predetermined time or longer after the door is detected as open, it sends a notification to the management device, allowing appropriate action to be taken if the door remains open. For example, the door may remain open if the recipient forgets to close the door after removing the items delivered to the delivery warehouse by the supplier (deliverer).

The second stocker of the present invention comprises:
A stocker used in a stocker system including a stocker having a delivery warehouse and a management device that manages the stocker,
an imaging device capable of imaging a predetermined range in front of the stocker;
a control device capable of communicating with the management device, which controls recording of an image captured by the imaging device based on detection of a moving object from the image;
Equipped with
The control device transmits a notification to the management device that an image is not being recorded when the control device has not executed the recording control for a predetermined non-recording time or longer.

The second stocker of the present invention sends a notification to the management device if image recording control is not performed for a specified non-recording time or longer, allowing for appropriate response when images are not being recorded. Note that typically, when a supplier (deliverer) delivers an item or a recipient receives an item, they enter a specified range in front of the stocker, and a moving object is detected from the image. Therefore, if images are not being recorded for a specified non-recording time or longer, there is a high possibility that some abnormality has occurred with the imaging device or the images being captured.

The third stocker of the present invention comprises:
A stocker used in a stocker system including a stocker having a delivery warehouse with a lockable door and a management device that manages the stocker,
an open/closed state detection means for detecting the open/closed state of the door;
a control device capable of communicating with the management device and controlling locking and unlocking of the door;
Equipped with
The gist of the invention is that when the control device detects that the door has been opened without performing unlocking control on the door, the control device sends a notification to the management device that the door has been opened without performing unlocking control.

The third stocker of the present invention sends a notification to the management device when the delivery warehouse door is detected as being opened without the door being controlled to be unlocked, allowing it to respond appropriately when the door is opened without the aid of unlocking control. Note that a door being opened without the aid of unlocking control could be, for example, when the door is unlocked by a locking device that uses a physical key in addition to an electronic locking device controlled by the control device, and the door is unlocked by that locking device. It could also be when the door is unlocked (opened) by fraudulent means.

A fourth stocker of the present invention comprises:
A stocker used in a stocker system including a stocker having a delivery warehouse and a management device that manages the stocker,
a delivery certificate output device capable of outputting a delivery certificate in association with consumption of a consumable product;
a control device that can communicate with the management device and controls the delivery certificate output device to output the delivery certificate when an article is delivered to the delivery warehouse by a supplier;
Equipped with
The control device, when the remaining amount of the consumable product falls below a predetermined amount, transmits a notification to the management device that the remaining amount of the consumable product is below the predetermined amount.

The fourth stocker of the present invention sends a notification to the management device when the remaining amount of a consumable product used in a delivery proof output device capable of outputting delivery proof falls below a predetermined level, thereby enabling appropriate action to be taken when the remaining amount of the consumable product falls below the predetermined level. Examples of delivery proof output devices include devices that stamp receipts on slips held by the supplier, consuming ink, and devices that output slips with delivery proof printed on them, consuming ink and paper.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a stocker system 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the outline of the configuration of a stocker 40. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process when the door remains open. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when a non-recording state continues. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process when the door is opened under non-unlocking control. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process when the remaining amount of ink is low.

[First embodiment]
Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a stocker system 10. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a stocker 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stocker system 10 comprises a sales management system 20, multiple stockers 40, and a stocker management device 30 that manages the stockers 40. The sales management system 20, multiple stockers 40 (stockers 40A, 40B, etc.), and stocker management device 30 are connected to networks 12 and 13, such as the Internet.

The sales management system 20 is a system managed by the store 21 and includes a sales management device 22. The sales management device 22 exchanges information with the mobile terminals 15 of the purchasers 14 via the network 12, and provides the purchasers 14 with product information about the products 17. The sales management device 22 stores, for example, a product database (DB) containing information about the products 17, a customer DB containing information about the customers (purchasers 14), and sales information including the order numbers of the purchased items (products 17) and information about the stockers 40 that receive the products 17.

The stocker 40 is used to hand over the products 17 delivered from the store 21 to the purchaser 14. The stocker 40 is installed in various locations, such as offices, convenience stores, factories, train stations, schools, and apartment buildings. This stocker 40 is equipped with multiple lockable delivery warehouses 41. The delivery warehouse 41 has an internal space capable of storing items such as the products 17, and, as shown in FIG. 2, is equipped with a front door 42, an electronic lock 43 that locks and unlocks the door 42, an item sensor 44 that detects the presence or absence of items in the delivery warehouse 41, and an opening/closing sensor 45 that detects whether the door 42 is open or closed.

The stocker 40 also includes a mass unlocking mechanism 46 that allows an operator to unlock multiple (e.g., a vertical row) delivery warehouses 41 at once using a key (physical key). Multiple mass unlocking mechanisms 46 are provided, one for each row of delivery warehouses 41 (one is shown in Figure 2 ), and each mechanism includes a cylinder lock 47 located below the lowest delivery warehouse 41 in each row and with a keyhole on the front, an unlocking rod 48 that moves vertically in conjunction with the rotation of the lock shaft (not shown) of the cylinder lock 47, and multiple unlocking levers 49 connected to the unlocking rod 48 and move vertically in conjunction with the vertical movement of the unlocking rod 48. Each delivery warehouse 41 is equipped with an electronic lock 43 that includes an unlocking pin 43a that protrudes downward when locked, allowing the warehouses to be unlocked by pushing up the unlocking pin 43a when locked. The unlocking lever 49 of the batch unlocking mechanism 46 abuts against the lower end surface of the unlocking pin 43a, and by moving upward, pushes up the unlocking pin 43a. Therefore, a manager or other person at the installation site of the stocker 40 can insert a key into the keyhole of the cylinder lock 47 of the batch unlocking mechanism 46 and rotate it in a predetermined direction to activate the unlocking pin 43a of the electronic lock 43 via the interlocking of the unlocking rod 48 and the unlocking lever 49, thereby unlocking multiple (vertical row) delivery warehouses 41 at once. Note that such batch unlocking can sometimes be performed by a manager or other person at the installation site of the stocker 40 if, for example, a purchaser 14 receiving the products 17 accidentally loses (forgets) their receiving password.

The stocker 40 also includes a control unit 51 that is the same size as the delivery warehouse 41. The control unit 51 includes a control unit 53, a memory unit 54, and a communication unit 55. The control unit 53 is composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is responsible for controlling the entire device, including locking and unlocking the electronic lock 43. The control unit 53 also receives detection signals from the item sensor 44 and the open/close sensor 45. The memory unit 54 stores various application programs and data files. The communication unit 55 communicates with external devices such as the stocker management device 30. The memory unit 54 stores delivery information, such as information on the product 17, the delivery warehouse number where the product 17 is stored, and a receiving password (receiving code) associated with the product 17.

The front panel 52 of the control unit 51 is provided with a display/operation unit 56, a reading unit 57, an imaging unit 58, and a stamping unit 59. The display/operation unit 56 is a touch panel display that displays various information to the deliverer 19 and the purchaser 14 of the product 17 and accepts various inputs for operations from the deliverer 19 and the purchaser 14. The reading unit 57 is a code reader that reads various codes, such as the authentication code printed on the authentication card held by the delivery person 19 and the password (receiving code) used by the purchaser 14 to receive the product 17. The imaging unit 58 is a camera that can capture images of a predetermined range in front of the stocker 40, for example, the range where the delivery person 19 and the purchaser 14 are located when they are putting the product 17 in and out of the delivery warehouse 41, and transmits the captured images to the control unit 53 at predetermined intervals. The control unit 53 processes the image captured by the imaging unit 58 to determine whether or not a person (moving object) is present in the image, and if a person (moving object) is detected in the image, executes recording control to record the images captured by the imaging unit 58 in chronological order in the memory unit 54 until a person (moving object) is no longer detected in the image. The stamp unit 59 is a stamp unit capable of stamping a receipt, and is configured with a replaceable ink cartridge for stamping. When the delivery person 19 has completed delivery of the product 17 to the delivery warehouse 41, the control unit 53 displays on the display operation unit 56 a screen prompting the user to insert a delivery receipt into the receipt stamp slot of the stamp unit 59, and controls the stamp unit 59 to stamp a receipt when the delivery receipt is inserted into the receipt stamp slot.

The stocker management device 30 exchanges information with the stockers 40 and the sales management device 22 via the networks 12 and 13. The stocker management device 30 stores stocker information, including information such as the stocker 40's identification number and location, as well as history information, including information on the products 17 delivered to the stocker 40 and the usage status of the delivery warehouse 41. Furthermore, the stocker management device 30 is configured to notify the stocker system 10 administrator, etc., of any events that occur in the stocker 40 based on notifications from the stocker 40, by audio output or screen display.

In the stocker system 10 configured in this manner, the product 17 ordered by the purchaser 14 is delivered to the delivery warehouse 41 of the stocker 40 as follows: First, the purchaser 14 operates a mobile terminal 15 or the like to select the desired product 17 from the product information provided by the sales management device 22, and places an order for the product 17 by entering information about the desired stocker 40 where the product 17 will be received. Upon receiving an order from the purchaser 14, the sales management device 22 stores the purchaser 14 information and the desired stocker 40 information along with the order number of the product 17 (purchased item) as sales information and transmits it to the stocker management device 30. The stocker management device 30 searches for an available delivery warehouse based on the usage status of the desired stocker 40 to determine the delivery destination delivery warehouse 41, and transmits the number of the delivery destination delivery warehouse 41 to the sales management device 22, as well as the number of the delivery destination delivery warehouse 41 and the order number to the desired stocker 40. An empty delivery warehouse is a delivery warehouse 41 where the item sensor 44 detects that there are no items in the delivery warehouse 41 and the open/close sensor 45 detects that the door 42 is closed. If there is no empty delivery warehouse in the desired stocker 40, the stocker management device 30 sends a notification to the sales management device 22 that there is no vacancy. Upon receiving this notification, the sales management device 22 sends a notification to the mobile terminal 15 of the purchaser 14 to allow the purchaser 14 to change the desired stocker 40 for delivery or to cancel the order. Upon receiving the number of the delivery warehouse 41 as the delivery destination from the stocker management device 30, the sales management device 22 specifies the number of the delivery destination stocker 40 and the delivery warehouse 41 and instructs the deliverer 19 to deliver the product 17. The deliverer 19 delivers the product 17 to the stocker 40 at the delivery destination, and at the stocker 40 at the delivery destination, operates the display operation unit 56 to deliver the product 17 while having the reading unit 57 read the authentication code for authentication. Once the stocker 40 has authenticated the deliverer 19, it controls to unlock the electronic lock 43 of the specified delivery warehouse 41. This allows the deliverer 19 to open the unlocked door 42 and deliver the product 17 to the delivery warehouse 41. Once the deliverer 19 has completed delivery of the product 17 and the door 42 is closed, the stocker 40 controls to lock the electronic lock 43. Additionally, when the deliverer 19 inserts the delivery receipt into the receipt stamp slot of the stamp unit 59, the stocker 40 stamps the delivery receipt with a receipt stamp using the stamp unit 59.

Once the product 17 is delivered to the delivery warehouse 41 in this manner, the product 17 is received by the purchaser 14 as follows: First, the stocker 40 generates a password (receive code) for receiving the product 17 and transmits it to the stocker management device 30. The stocker management device 30 transmits the receive password and order number to the sales management device 22. The receive password may be generated by the stocker management device 30 or the sales management device 22. The sales management device 22 transmits to the purchaser's 14's mobile terminal 15 a message that the product 17 has been delivered to the desired stocker 40, along with the received receive password and order number. At the stocker 40 where the product 17 has been delivered, the purchaser 14 operates the display and operation unit 56 to receive the product while having the reading unit 57 read the receive password (receive code) for authentication. After authenticating the purchaser 14, the stocker 40 unlocks the electronic lock 43 of the specified delivery warehouse 41. This allows the purchaser 14 to open the unlocked door 42 and receive the product 17 from the delivery warehouse 41. When the purchaser 14 has finished receiving the product 17 and the door 42 is closed, the stocker 40 controls the electronic lock 43 to lock. Once the purchaser 14 has finished receiving the product 17 and the door 42 is closed, the product sensor 44 detects that there are no products in the delivery warehouse 41 and the open/close sensor 45 detects that the door 42 is closed, causing the delivery warehouse 41 to become an empty delivery warehouse, making it possible to determine a new delivery destination.

Next, the operation of the stocker system 10 of the first embodiment will be described, particularly the operation when the door 42 of the stocker 40 remains open. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process for when the door remains open. In this process, the control unit 53 of the control unit 51 first determines whether the door 42 is open (S100). This process can be performed by the control unit 53 controlling the electronic lock 43 to unlock and then determining whether the door 42 is open based on a detection signal from the open/close sensor 45. This may also include the case where the door 42 remains open after the electronic lock 43 is unlocked by the collective release mechanism 46. If the control unit 53 determines in S100 that the door 42 is open, it begins measuring the open time (S110). The control unit 53 then determines whether the door 42 has been closed (S120) and whether a predetermined open time has elapsed (S130). The predetermined open time can be set to several tens of seconds, such as 30 seconds.

If the control unit 53 determines in S120 that the door 42 has been closed before determining in S130 that the predetermined open time has elapsed, it ends measurement of the open time (S140) and terminates this process. On the other hand, if the control unit 53 determines in S130 that the predetermined open time has elapsed before determining in S120 that the door 42 has been closed, it sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 that the door 42 remains open (S150) and terminates this process. Upon receiving this notification, the stocker management device 30 can notify the manager of the stocker system 10 or other person that the door 42 has remained open. Therefore, the manager of the stocker system 10 or other person can take action, such as visiting the stocker 40 to close the door 42 that remains open, or contacting the manager of the location where the stocker 40 is installed and requesting that the door 42 be closed. In some cases, the door 42 may remain open if the purchaser 14 forgets to close the door after receiving the product 17. In this case, even if the product 17 is received from the delivery warehouse 41, the delivery warehouse 41's usage status will not be an empty delivery warehouse, and the new delivery destination cannot be determined. Therefore, depending on the usage status of other delivery warehouses 41 in the stocker 40, the stocker management device 30 may determine that there is no empty delivery warehouse in the stocker 40 and may not be able to appropriately accommodate the purchaser 14's pickup request. In the first embodiment, a notification that the door 42 remains open is sent to the stocker management device 30, thereby preventing such a situation from occurring. Note that the stocker management device 30 may also send the notification sent from the stocker 40 to the sales management device 22 or the like, for handling by the store 21 manager or the delivery person 19.

Here, we will clarify the correspondence between the components of the first embodiment and the components of the first stocker of the present invention. The stocker 40 of the first embodiment corresponds to the first stocker of the present invention, the stocker management device 30 corresponds to the management device, the open/close sensor 45 corresponds to the open/close state detection means, and the control unit 53 corresponds to the control device.

The stocker 40 of the first embodiment described above controls the unlocking of the door 42 of the delivery warehouse 41, and if the door 42 remains open for a predetermined opening time or longer after the door 42 is detected as being open, the stocker 40 sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 that the door 42 remains open, allowing for appropriate response to situations in which the door 42 remains open.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the configurations of the stocker system 10 and each stocker 40 of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the components of the stocker system 10 and the stocker 40, and a description of the configuration will be omitted, and only the operation (processing) will be described. Note that the same applies to the third and fourth embodiments described below.

The operation of the stocker system 10 of the second embodiment will be described below when images captured by the imaging unit 58 of the stocker 40 are not being recorded normally. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing during a continuous non-recording state. In this processing during a continuous non-recording state, the control unit 53 of the control unit 51 first determines whether image recording control is being executed (S200). As described above, the control unit 53 processes the image captured by the imaging unit 58 to determine whether a person is present in the image. If a person is detected in the image, the control unit 53 executes recording control to record the images in the memory unit 54 in chronological order until a person is no longer detected in the image. Therefore, the control unit 53 determines in S200 that recording control is being executed from the time a person is detected in the image until a person is no longer detected.

If the control unit 53 determines in S200 that recording control is not being executed, it determines whether non-recording time is being measured (S210). If the control unit 53 determines that non-recording time is not being measured, it starts measuring non-recording time (S220). If it determines that non-recording time is being measured, it skips S220. The control unit 53 then determines whether a predetermined non-recording time has elapsed (S230). If it determines that the predetermined non-recording time has not elapsed, it returns to S200 and repeats the process. The predetermined non-recording time can be set to several hours, such as one hour. Note that the frequency with which people approach the stocker 40, i.e., the frequency with which people are detected in images, varies depending on the number of delivery warehouses 41 in the stocker 40, the location of the stocker 40, and the time of day. Therefore, different times may be used as the predetermined non-recording time depending on the location of the stocker 40 and the time of day. Furthermore, if the control unit 53 determines in S200 that recording control is being executed, it determines whether non-recording time is being measured (S240). If the control unit 53 determines that non-recording time is being measured, it ends the measurement of non-recording time (S250) and ends this process; if it determines that non-recording time is not being measured, it skips S250 and ends this process.

If the control unit 53 determines in S230 that the predetermined non-recording time has not elapsed and returns to S200 to repeat the process, and then determines in S230 that the predetermined non-recording time has elapsed without any images being recorded, it sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 that the non-recording state continues (S260) and terminates the process. Upon receiving this notification, the stocker management device 30 can notify the stocker system 10 administrator or other personnel that the non-recording state has continued for the predetermined non-recording time. Therefore, the stocker system 10 administrator or other personnel can take action, such as visiting the stocker 40 to check the status of the imaging unit 58 or contacting the administrator or other personnel at the location where the stocker 40 is installed and requesting that the status of the imaging unit 58 be checked. Here, each time a product 17 is delivered to or received from the delivery warehouse 41 of the stocker 40, people will enter and exit the imaging range of the imaging unit 58. Furthermore, depending on the location of the stocker 40, people passing by will also enter and exit the imaging range of the imaging unit 58. Therefore, if an image is captured normally by the imaging unit 58, the control unit 53 will detect a person (moving object) from the image and execute image recording control. However, there are cases where a malfunction occurs in the imaging unit 58 and images are not captured normally. Furthermore, there are also cases where an individual attempting to steal a product 17 from the delivery warehouse 41 covers the lens of the imaging unit 58 to prevent themselves from appearing in the image, causing images to be captured normally. In such cases, the control unit 53 will not detect a person (moving object) from the image captured by the imaging unit 58, and will therefore not execute image recording control for a predetermined non-recording time. In the second embodiment, if such a situation occurs in which image recording control is not performed, a notification to that effect is sent to the stocker management device 30, allowing appropriate responses to be made to situations in which images are not recorded.

Here, we will clarify the correspondence between the components of the second embodiment and the components of the second stocker of the present invention. The stocker 40 of the second embodiment corresponds to the second stocker of the present invention, the stocker management device 30 corresponds to the management device, the imaging unit 58 corresponds to the imaging device, and the control unit 53 corresponds to the control device.

The stocker 40 of the second embodiment described above sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 if no images are recorded for a specified non-recording time, allowing for appropriate response to situations where images are not being recorded.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. As an example of the operation of the stocker system 10 of the third embodiment, the operation when the door 42 of the stocker 40 is opened without the control unit 53 controlling the electronic lock 43 to unlock is described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the door opening process under non-unlocking control. In this door opening process under non-unlocking control, the control unit 53 of the control unit 51 first determines whether the door 42 is open (S300). If it determines that the door 42 is not open, the control unit 53 immediately ends the process. If it determines that the door 42 is open, the control unit 53 also determines whether the electronic lock 43 has already been unlocked for the open door 42 (S310). If it determines that the electronic lock 43 has already been unlocked, the control unit 53 determines that the door 42 is normally open and ends the process.

Furthermore, if the control unit 53 determines that the unlocking control of the electronic lock 43 has not been executed for the door 42 that was opened in S310, it sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 that the door 42 has been opened under non-unlocking control (S320) and terminates this process. Upon receiving this notification, the stocker management device 30 can notify the manager of the stocker system 10 that the door 42 has been opened under non-unlocking control. The manager of the stocker system 10 can then take action, such as visiting the stocker 40 to check the status of the delivery warehouse 41 (door 42) or contacting the manager of the location where the stocker 40 is installed and requesting that the status of the delivery warehouse 41 (door 42) be checked. Examples of situations in which the door 42 is opened without the control unit 53's unlocking control of the electronic lock 43 include when the door 42 is unlocked and opened by the batch unlocking mechanism 46 or when the door 42 is forced open by someone attempting to steal products 17 from the delivery warehouse 41. In the former case, if the door 42 has been unlocked en bloc by a manager at the location where the stockers 40 are installed, this is not an abnormal situation; however, because the door 42 has been opened using an unusual method, it is necessary to check the status of the stocker 40. In the latter case, a prompt response is required. In the third embodiment, if the door 42 is opened under non-unlocking control, a notification to that effect is sent to the stocker management device 30, making it possible to appropriately respond to a situation in which the door 42 has been opened under non-unlocking control.

Here, we will clarify the correspondence between the components of the third embodiment and the components of the third stocker of the present invention. The stocker 40 of the third embodiment corresponds to the third stocker of the present invention, the stocker management device 30 corresponds to the management device, the open/close sensor 45 corresponds to the open/close state detection means, and the control unit 53 corresponds to the control device.

The stocker 40 of the third embodiment described above sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 when it detects that the door 42 of the delivery warehouse 41 has been opened without the control unit 53 controlling the unlocking of the electronic lock 43. This allows the stocker 40 to respond appropriately to a situation in which the door 42 has been opened without the control unit 53 controlling the unlocking.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The operation of the stocker system 10 of the fourth embodiment when the ink level in the ink cartridge of the stamping unit 59 in the stocker 40 is low will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the low ink level process. In this low ink level process, the control unit 53 of the control unit 51 first determines whether a receipt stamp has been stamped by the stamping unit 59 (S400). If it determines that a receipt stamp has not been stamped, the control unit 53 terminates the process. If it determines that a receipt stamp has been stamped by the stamping unit 59, the control unit 53 increments the number of stamps N by one (S410) and determines whether the number of stamps N is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of stamps Nref (S420). If it determines that the number of stamps N is not equal to or greater than the predetermined number of stamps Nref, the control unit 53 determines that the ink cartridge has sufficient ink and terminates the process. Note that the number of stamps N is reset to zero when the ink cartridge is replaced. The predetermined number of impressions Nref is determined in advance through experiments or the like as a threshold value for determining that the remaining amount of ink has fallen below a predetermined amount and that it is near time to replace the ink cartridge.

Furthermore, if the control unit 53 determines in S420 that the number of impressions N is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of impressions Nref, it determines that the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge is equal to or less than the predetermined amount, sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 that the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge is low (S430), and terminates this processing. The stocker management device 30, upon receiving this notification, can notify the manager of the stocker system 10 or the like that the amount of ink remaining has fallen below the predetermined amount. This allows the manager of the stocker system 10 or the like to take action, such as visiting the stocker 40 and replacing the ink cartridge in the stamping unit 59. This prevents the delivery person 19 from being unable to stamp a receipt when delivering the product 17 due to the ink cartridge in the stamping unit 59 running out of ink.

Here, we will clarify the correspondence between the components of the fourth embodiment and the components of the fourth stocker of the present invention. The stocker 40 of the fourth embodiment corresponds to the fourth stocker of the present invention, the stocker management device 30 corresponds to the management device, the stamp unit 59 corresponds to the delivery certificate output device, and the control unit 53 corresponds to the control device.

The stocker 40 of the fourth embodiment described above sends a notification to the stocker management device 30 when the ink level in the ink cartridge used in the stamping unit 59 capable of stamping a receipt falls below a predetermined level, allowing for appropriate response when the ink level falls below the predetermined level.

It goes without saying that the present invention is in no way limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiments, the stocker 40 (delivery warehouse 41, control unit 51) has a common configuration and is equipped with an opening/closing sensor 45, a mass unlocking mechanism 46, an imaging unit 58, and a stamping unit 59, but this is not limited to this. For example, in the first and third embodiments, it is sufficient to have at least the opening/closing sensor 45, and it may not have the mass unlocking mechanism 46, imaging unit 58, or stamping unit 59. In the second embodiment, it is sufficient to have at least the imaging unit 58, and it may not have the mass unlocking mechanism 46 or stamping unit 59. In the fourth embodiment, it is sufficient to have at least the stamping unit 59, and it may not have the mass unlocking mechanism 46 or imaging unit 58.

In the fourth embodiment described above, whether the remaining ink level (remaining amount of consumable goods) has fallen below a predetermined level is determined based on the number of times N the stamp unit 59 has stamped a receipt (number of outputs), but this is not limited to this. For example, a sensor (such as an optical sensor or weight sensor) that can detect the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge may be provided, and whether the remaining ink level has fallen below a predetermined level may be detected based on the value detected by the sensor. Furthermore, the stamp unit 59 is not limited to a replaceable ink cartridge, but may be one that replenishes the ink as it is consumed. Furthermore, the stamp unit 59 is not limited to a unit that stamps a receipt on a delivery receipt, but may be a printing unit that consumes ink and paper and outputs a slip on which a delivery certificate is printed. In such a case, if the remaining amount of either the ink or paper falls below a predetermined level, a notification to that effect may be sent to the stocker management device 30.

Furthermore, the stocker 40 may be capable of performing all of the aspects (sending notifications) of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, or may be capable of performing any two or three of the aspects.

This invention can be used in the technical field of product distribution systems that deliver products to stockers.

10 Stocker system, 12, 13 Network, 14 Purchaser, 15 Mobile terminal, 17 Product, 19 Deliverer, 20 Sales management system, 21 Store, 22 Sales management device, 30 Stocker management device, 40, 40A, 40B Stocker, 41 Delivery warehouse, 42 Door, 43 Electronic lock, 43a Unlocking pin, 44 Item sensor, 45 Opening/closing sensor, 46 Bulk unlocking mechanism, 47 Cylinder lock, 48 Unlocking rod, 49 Unlocking lever, 51 Control unit, 52 Front panel, 53 Control unit, 54 Memory unit, 55 Communication unit, 56 Display operation unit, 57 Reading unit, 58 Imaging unit, 59 Stamping unit.

Claims (1)

A stocker used in a stocker system including a stocker having a delivery warehouse and a management device that manages the stocker,
an imaging device capable of capturing an image of an imaging range including people delivering to or receiving from the delivery warehouse and people passing by in a predetermined range in front of the stocker;
a control device capable of communicating with the management device, which controls recording of an image captured by the imaging device based on detection of a moving object from the image;
Equipped with
When the control device has not performed the recording control for a predetermined non-recording time or more, the control device transmits a notice to the management device that an image is not being recorded , and the non-recording time is set to a different time depending on the installation location or time period of the stocker.
Stocker.