JP7781580B2 - Logistics system using unmanned transport robots - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a logistics system that utilizes unmanned transport robots, and in particular to a logistics system that has an unmanned luggage storage facility as an intermediate luggage storage facility and is suitable for efficiently utilizing unmanned transport robots that use this unmanned luggage storage facility as a base to transport luggage.

In developed countries such as Japan, the declining birthrate and aging population are rapidly depopulating rural areas. This fact can be seen in the ongoing closure of JR, third-sector companies, bus routes, and taxi services that cover vast areas such as Hokkaido.
Generally, alternative means of transportation are introduced in such areas in an attempt to maintain the local community, but there are limits to this.
In rural areas in this environment, young people are rapidly migrating to cities, leaving the elderly and the physically disabled behind. However, protecting the lives of the elderly and the physically disabled is also important, and it can be said that this is an important responsibility for those who provide public services.
The provision of public services refers to the provision of infrastructure and lifeline-related services; the former includes water, gas, electricity, and communications, while the latter includes food, fuel, feed, and pesticides.
The former is a service provided by a public institution, so profitability can be ignored to a certain extent, but the latter is a service provided by a private company, so profitability cannot be ignored.
For example, when it comes to fuel delivery, if the demand density (population density) falls below a certain level, the delivery cost per unit of fuel becomes too high, making it difficult to make a profit, and delivery services will withdraw from such areas.

For example, in areas such as Hokkaido where recipient homes are far apart, manual delivery services have the problem of poor delivery efficiency (transportation efficiency).

To solve these problems, attempts are being made to automate unmanned package delivery. Unmanned delivery robots are beginning to be used experimentally as a means of unmanned delivery services. Examples of unmanned delivery robots that can be used include automated delivery vehicles and drones.

An example of a logistics system (delivery system) that uses an unmanned transport robot is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-200847 (Patent Document 1). In this example, the delivery system (logistics system) includes a delivery vehicle carrying delivery boxes (packages) to be delivered to a delivery destination (destination) and a mother vehicle that carries the delivery vehicle. The mother vehicle stores multiple delivery boxes in an automated warehouse, and upon arriving at a relay point on the delivery route from the delivery source to the delivery destination, the automated warehouse controls the delivery vehicle to unload the loaded delivery box (package) corresponding to the delivery destination. The mother vehicle functions as a mobile relay station, and the unloaded delivery vehicle transports the delivery boxes to the delivery destination unmanned.

An example of a logistics system (delivery system) using drones is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-153337 (Patent Document 2). In this example, multiple drones are loaded onto a delivery vehicle along with the packages to be delivered, and the vehicle travels with the loaded drones, operating them as a mobile delivery base in the desired delivery area to make the deliveries.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-200847 JP 2016-153337 A

In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a mother vehicle or a delivery vehicle is used as a mobile delivery base, and packages are transported from the mobile delivery base by a plurality of unmanned transport robots (unmanned delivery vehicles). The purpose of the delivery system consisting of a mother vehicle and child vehicles (delivery vehicles) is presumably to have the mother vehicle travel a relatively long distance to a relay point, and then deliver the packages to delivery destinations scattered around the relay point by child vehicles (delivery vehicles) with less mobility.
However, in principle, the mother vehicle cannot move to the next relay point until all deliveries to destinations scattered around the relay point have been completed by the child vehicles (delivery vehicles), and as a result, the time it takes to reach the final relay point depends on the time it takes for the child vehicles (delivery vehicles) to complete all deliveries.As a result, there is a problem in that it takes a long time to complete deliveries.
Patent document 1 describes the idea that even if a child vehicle (delivery vehicle) does not complete its delivery at a certain relay point, the mother vehicle moves to the next relay point, and the child vehicle (delivery vehicle) catches up with the mother vehicle at the next relay point after completing its delivery at the previous relay point.
However, this solution would force child vehicles (delivery vehicles) with limited mobility to travel relatively long distances, which goes against the design intent of a system consisting of a mother vehicle and child vehicles (delivery vehicles).In other words, if this were possible, it would be essentially the same as not introducing a mother vehicle and instead performing relatively long-distance delivery work using only child vehicles (delivery vehicles).
Therefore, such a solution cannot be implemented in practice, and the invention described in this document still does not solve the problem of the long time it takes to complete delivery, as mentioned above. Patent Document 2 also has a similar problem.

The present invention aims to provide a logistics system that utilizes a luggage storage facility as a transportation base for unmanned transport robots and efficiently utilizes a small number of unmanned transport robots to transport luggage.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a logistics system that uses the following unmanned transport robot.

That is, the first invention of the present invention is a parcel collection center managed by a full-time person for collecting parcels with specified destinations;
a transport vehicle that loads from a luggage collection center and transports N or more luggage at a time;
a luggage storage facility that is not managed by a person on a full-time basis, for storing N pieces of luggage from a transport vehicle that arrives from a luggage collection center;
A logistics system (corresponding to claim 1) having an unmanned transport robot that uses the luggage storage facility as a base, can load luggage from the luggage storage facility and transport M (N>M≧2) luggage at a time, and travels around multiple locations to deliver the luggage to its designated destination.

A second aspect of the present invention is a logistics system using an unmanned transport robot, which uses a baggage storage facility as its base and loads baggage from collection destinations to the baggage storage facility and transports it to the baggage storage facility, the unmanned transport robot being capable of transporting M (N > M ≥ 2) baggage at a time and patrolling multiple locations to collect baggage from designated collection destinations; a baggage storage facility capable of managing N baggage for handing over the collected baggage to a transport vehicle for transport to a baggage collection center, the baggage storage facility not being managed full-time by a storage person for handing over the baggage collected from the unmanned transport robot to the transport vehicle; a transport vehicle that transports N or more baggage at a time from the baggage storage facility for loading and delivery to the baggage collection center; and a baggage collection center managed full-time by a person and having the function of collecting the baggage carried by the transport vehicle (corresponding to claim 13).

A third aspect of the present invention is a logistics system network in which a plurality of logistics systems according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and any one of claims 13 to 18 are network-connected, further comprising an inter-collection center parcel carrier that transports parcels between parcel collection centers, a transport information storage unit that stores transport information associated with the parcel, the transport information including at least identification information of the parcel collection center that controls the parcel's destination, and the inter-collection center parcel carrier is configured to use the transport information stored in the transport information storage unit to send the parcel to the parcel collection center to which the destination belongs (corresponding to claim 25).

The present invention provides a logistics system that utilizes a baggage storage facility as a transport base for unmanned transport robots, making efficient use of a small number of unmanned transport robots to transport baggage.

A block diagram showing the functional configuration of a logistics system according to first to sixth embodiments. Block diagram showing the configuration of the luggage storage facility 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a delivery command device and an unmanned transport robot according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a baggage storage facility and an unmanned transport robot according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 1 is a network diagram showing an example of a distribution system of the present invention during delivery. A diagram showing an example of a transport vehicle A diagram showing a drone, an example of an unmanned transport robot A diagram showing an autonomous vehicle, an example of an unmanned transport robot. An example of a drone delivering a package A diagram showing an example of the appearance of an index-type luggage storage area Data flow diagram showing the flow of delivery data An example of power supply to a drone Block diagram showing the functional configuration of a logistics system according to embodiments 7 to 12. A diagram showing an example of a network of a luggage collection center An example of a drone retrieving luggage A data flow diagram showing the flow of data in the orders database FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a delivery information transmitting device according to a thirteenth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a collection command device according to a ninth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a collection command device according to a tenth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an unmanned transport robot according to a ninth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an unmanned transport robot according to an eleventh embodiment. FIG. 1 is a network diagram showing an example of the physical distribution system of the present invention at the time of collection. A block diagram showing the configuration of a transport vehicle and a baggage storage facility according to a fourteenth embodiment. Example of delivery and collection schedule A block diagram showing the basic hardware configuration of the present invention.

<Hardware that can be used to configure the present invention>
The present invention relates to a logistics system implemented by the cooperation of a parcel collection center, a parcel storage facility, a transport vehicle, and an unmanned transport robot. Some or all of the control performed by each component may be implemented as a program on a computer or embedded system equipped with a CPU. Figure 23 shows a typical hardware configuration of a computer or embedded system, which is installed in the delivery command device, collection command device, transport vehicle, parcel storage facility, unmanned transport robot, and delivery/collection information management server described below. The CPU 2310 performs predetermined control by reading and executing programs from the main memory 2320. The bridge 2340 is located between the CPU, which allows high-speed access, and the relatively slow peripheral devices, and mediates access between the various components. The main memory is a temporary storage device for the CPU to directly read and execute programs. In addition to basic functions such as the OS and device drivers, programs executed by the CPU are copied from the nonvolatile memory to the program area as needed. The boot program 2330 is recorded in ROM and performs processes from startup to setting up peripheral circuits and starting the OS until the OS is up and ready to run user programs. If the nonvolatile memory is flash memory, the boot program may also be stored therein. The nonvolatile memory 2350 is typically an HDD (hard disk drive) or flash memory, but other nonvolatile memory may also be used. The external interface 2360 is a function for exchanging data with external devices, and in the present invention, a LAN or wireless communication is implemented as appropriate.

<Satisfying the utility of the laws of nature in this invention>
This invention functions through the collaboration of computers, communication equipment, and software. While collecting and delivering packages from residential homes traditionally required tedious manual labor, this problem has been solved by a system that applies robotic technology, making it a so-called business model patent. Based on the claims and the specification, as well as the common general knowledge related to those matters, this invention utilizes a law of nature.

<The significance of utilizing the laws of nature required by patent law>
The Patent Act requires that an invention be industrially applicable and contribute to the development of industry. This requirement ensures that the invention is industrially applicable. In other words, the invention must be industrially useful; that is, the effects of the invention declared in the application must be reproducible with a certain degree of certainty through the practice of the invention. From this perspective, the application of the laws of nature is interpreted as the use of the laws of nature to achieve the functions of each of the invention's defining features (invention elements), which constitute the invention's effects. Furthermore, the effect of an invention is merely the possibility of providing a specific utility to users of the invention, and should not be viewed in terms of how users feel or think about that utility. Therefore, even if the effect users gain from the system is a psychological effect, that effect itself does not fall within the scope of the application of the laws of nature.

<Embodiment 1 Overview mainly relating to claim 1>
Embodiment 1 is a logistics system having a luggage collection center managed by a full-time human for collecting luggage with specified destinations, a transport vehicle that loads luggage from the luggage collection center and transports N or more luggage at a time, a luggage storage facility not managed by a full-time human for storing the N luggage from the transport vehicle that arrives from the luggage collection center, and an unmanned transport robot that uses the luggage storage facility as a base, is capable of loading luggage from the luggage storage facility and transporting M (N > M ≥ 2) luggage at a time, and travels to multiple locations to deliver the luggage to its specified destination.

<Embodiment 1 Overview: Roles of the Baggage Collection Center and Baggage Storage>
What's important here is that while large quantities of luggage are transported from a luggage collection center to a luggage storage facility by truck, efficient transportation to destinations beyond the luggage storage facility is achieved using unmanned transport robots, rather than trucks. For example, access from a luggage collection center to a luggage storage facility is efficient because there is only one designated arrival point, the "luggage storage facility," so transporting large quantities using a single vehicle is efficient. However, because there are many destinations beyond that, delivery using a single vehicle is actually inefficient. Therefore, it is desirable to achieve efficient delivery by dividing the luggage into multiple deliveries. The greatest feature of this invention is that it uses an "unmanned transport robot." This reduces labor costs and allows recipients to receive their luggage more quickly, leading to more efficient delivery.

<Embodiment 1: Overview of Transport Vehicle and Unmanned Transport Robot>
1 is a diagram showing an overview of the flow in the present invention. As shown in the figure, a logistics system 0100 has three locations: a baggage collection center 0110, a baggage storage facility 0120, and a delivery destination 130. A transport vehicle 0140 transports packages between the baggage collection center and the baggage storage facility, and the baggage storage facility stores packages for multiple delivery destinations. One or more unmanned transport robots 0150 deliver packages between the baggage storage facility and the delivery destinations, enabling efficient delivery to multiple and diverse delivery destinations.

<Description Overview Delivery Flow>
FIG. 5 illustrates the delivery relationship between a "baggage collection center 0510,""baggage storage locations 0521, 0522, 0523, and 0524," and "destination." As shown in the figure, a vehicle leaving the "baggage collection center" delivers luggage to a "baggage storage location." Essentially, one vehicle transports luggage to more than one luggage storage location at a time. Of course, a vehicle may return to the luggage collection center after a delivery, reload, and transport the luggage to another luggage storage location. However, the traditional method of directly delivering luggage to individual destinations is not anticipated. Unmanned transport robots 0551, 0552, and 0554 deliver luggage stored at the "baggage storage location" to be delivered to destinations. As described later in embodiments 4 and 5, it is desirable for the delivery method and route to be as efficient as possible. For example, in the case of delivery, since a vehicle starts its rounds loaded with luggage, it is considered that delivery from a nearby destination consumes less energy. Note that the word "Done" written next to the destination means that the delivery has been completed, while the word "Not yet" means that the delivery has not yet been completed. Destinations that the unmanned transport robot has passed along the delivery route are marked as "delivered," while destinations that it has not yet passed are marked as "undelivered."

<Description of Components in First Embodiment>
The functions of each location and transportation medium in the present invention are as follows, but are not limited to the scope that can achieve the above-mentioned objectives.

<Embodiment 1: Description of Components: Baggage Collection Center>
<Configuration of the baggage collection center>
A "baggage collection center" is a place where a person who collects luggage is full-time in charge of management. "Full-time management" means that a person is always present there except on holidays and non-operating times, and performs the work assigned to that person. Since the work is at a luggage collection center, the person's work is basically related to collecting luggage and delivering the collected luggage. Of course, this does not prevent people from working there who perform additional tasks such as general affairs, accounting, legal affairs, and human resources. Baggage that is within the delivery range of the unmanned transport robots at the luggage storage facilities associated with this luggage collection center is collected from collection points in various locations at the luggage collection center. The collection points in various locations may also be luggage collection centers in various locations. For example, if Hokkaido has cargo collection centers in Sapporo, Hakodate, Otaru, Muroran, Asahikawa, Kushiro, Obihiro, Kitami, Yubari, Iwamizawa, Abashiri, Rumoi, Tomakomai, and Wakkanai, the collection bases within the prefecture may also be Sapporo, Hakodate, Otaru, Muroran, Asahikawa, Kushiro, Obihiro, Kitami, Yubari, Iwamizawa, Abashiri, Rumoi, Tomakomai, and Wakkanai. Therefore, each collection center within the prefecture collects cargo from each collection base that functions as a collection center. Of course, cargo from collection bases outside the prefecture that are collection centers are also collected. Furthermore, there may be a hub base that serves as a hub for the collection centers. The hub base functions as a collection and collection base for, for example, 10 to 20 collection centers.
<Embodiment 1: Description of Components: Baggage Collection Center>
<Functions of the baggage collection center>
The functions of a baggage collection center include temporarily storing baggage to be delivered to a baggage storage facility located within the delivery area of the baggage collection center, and loading the temporarily stored baggage onto a transport vehicle and sending it to the designated baggage storage facility. Furthermore, baggage to be sent to a baggage storage facility at a baggage collection center is sent from another baggage collection center. Therefore, in principle, when collected baggage is sent from a baggage storage facility, the baggage collection center also serves to send the collected baggage to another baggage collection center that manages the delivery area of the collected baggage. The baggage collection center may also be equipped with a server device that manages information about the baggage to be delivered. Furthermore, a sorting device may be installed to collect baggage for each baggage storage facility under its jurisdiction. Furthermore, a loading device may be installed to load the baggage sorted by the sorting device onto a transport vehicle, as described below. This loading device may be configured to load the baggage onto the transport vehicle according to a predetermined rule. The predetermined rule may be configured to load the baggage in a predetermined order or to load the baggage in a predetermined location within the loading space of the baggage transport vehicle. It is desirable that the luggage has written thereon information such as the luggage collection origin, the luggage delivery destination, the loading rules for the transport vehicle (order, location, etc.), the type of luggage, etc. using an IC tag or code information, etc. The loading device is also desirable to have a function for reading this information and to load luggage based on the read information and instructions from the server.

<Embodiment 1: Description of each component: Transporter>
A "transport vehicle" is a vehicle that loads cargo from a cargo collection center and transports N or more cargoes at a time. It is generally assumed that cargoes destined for multiple destinations are being transported. However, of course, when there is only one cargo, the final destination of the cargo transported by the transport vehicle is one, but even in this case, this does not mean that the technical concept of the present invention does not apply.
The transport vehicle performs complex tasks because it must arrange the luggage according to an index when storing luggage at the luggage storage facility. Therefore, the present invention assumes that the vehicle is driven by a person and that a worker who is capable of arranging the luggage according to the index at the luggage storage facility is also on board. However, this does not prevent the driver and the worker from being the same person.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the transport vehicle is equipped with an information terminal. The information terminal is preferably configured to allow the worker to view information about the luggage to be delivered to the luggage storage facility and indexed, and to output the information to a mobile terminal carried by the worker in some cases. When the worker arrives at the luggage storage facility, the details of the work to be done at the luggage storage facility can be sent from the terminal carried on the transport vehicle to the mobile terminal carried by the worker, and when the worker gets off the transport vehicle and starts work, the worker can work according to the information displayed on the display of the mobile terminal.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a transport vehicle. It is assumed that a large number of packages will be transported from a package collection center to a package storage facility. However, since the number of packages transported varies from day to day, the assumption of "a large number of packages" is merely an assumption. Even if there happens to be a single package on a given day, this does not mean that the vehicle is outside the scope of the present invention. The structure is not limited to the one shown in the figure. For example, a robot arm 0611 is attached to the bed of a truck serving as a transport vehicle, and the robot arm collects packages 0612 according to a predetermined rule. The predetermined rule may be, for example, that the packages are arranged so that they are indexed appropriately for the unmanned transport robot to receive them when unloading them at the package storage facility.
The transport vehicle may be configured so that its loading platform can be connected to a baggage storage device at the baggage storage facility, and the transport vehicle may be configured so that the baggage is automatically placed at a predetermined location at the baggage storage facility. In this case, the baggage is loaded onto the transport vehicle at the baggage collection center in advance so that the baggage is placed at the predetermined storage location at the baggage collection center. This intelligent loading of baggage onto the transport vehicle at the baggage collection center may be performed by an automatic transport vehicle loading system, a baggage loader, and a baggage unloader arranged at the baggage collection center. The automatic transport vehicle loading system is configured to be composed of a computer and to perform the above processing based on baggage information. The baggage collection center may be operated by an automated warehouse system.

<Embodiment 1: Description of each component: Luggage storage facility overview>
A "baggage storage facility" is a location where N packages from transport vehicles arriving from a baggage collection center are stored without full-time management by a storage person. As described below, delivery to destinations is performed by unmanned transport robots, eliminating the need for full-time management by a storage person. Information about destinations can be obtained from a management server using communication functions such as the Internet and entered into the unmanned transport robot via a wireless interface, eliminating the need for full-time management at the baggage storage facility to input the destination each time. Furthermore, while it is desirable for baggage storage facilities to be connected via wired or mobile communications, direct communication with the management server may be impossible in environments with poor communication infrastructure, such as mountainous regions. In some cases, transport vehicles transport not only packages but also information about destinations.

<Embodiment 1: Description of each component, luggage storage, function>
The "function of the baggage storage facility" is to store the baggage delivered from the transport vehicle and have an unmanned transport robot based at the baggage storage facility deliver the baggage. The baggage delivered from the transport vehicle can be stored in a predetermined location at the baggage storage facility by a worker aboard the transport vehicle. However, the loading of the baggage from the baggage storage facility onto the unmanned transport robot for delivery to its destination is performed by a collaborative operation between the baggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot. This operation is unmanned. Therefore, the loading operation is performed while the computer at the baggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot communicate via wireless or wired communication. The baggage storage facility receives information about the baggage from the baggage collection center or the mobile device of the transport vehicle worker and stores the baggage. This information may include information about delivery timing. The information about delivery timing can be determined based on information from a device such as a smartphone located at the specified destination or used by the resident of the destination. The recipient's computer, smartphone, or other device can be configured to run an application for the logistics system using this unmanned transport robot, or the dedicated homepage for the logistics system using this unmanned transport robot can be accessed via a browser and various information about the package can be transmitted to and from the system by entering a registered password. This information can include the current location of the package and the timing when it can be delivered to the destination. The most likely form of the unmanned transport robot is a flying drone, which is less affected by road conditions and therefore makes it easy to adjust the delivery time. Road conditions include impassable roads due to snowfall and flooded roads due to heavy rain.

<Embodiment 1: Description of each component: Luggage storage facility configuration>
The configuration of the baggage storage facility may vary depending on the type of unmanned transport robot based therein. For example, if the unmanned transport robot is a flying drone, the baggage can be grasped, loaded, stored, etc., by the flying drone accessing from the sky. Therefore, the top of the baggage storage facility must be open at least when the flying drone grasps the baggage to deliver it. A lid is usually provided, and the lid may be configured to be released when the drone delivers the baggage. Furthermore, to make it easier for the drone to grasp the baggage, the baggage may be partially or entirely pushed upward by an elevator or the like. Furthermore, if the unmanned transport robot is an autonomous vehicle traveling on the ground, a configuration separate from the flying drone is conceivable in which the unmanned transport robot enters underneath the baggage and lowers and places the baggage on the loading platform. Therefore, the baggage storage facility is configured so that an autonomous vehicle enters underneath the baggage storage facility, and when the loading platform of the autonomous vehicle is positioned in the designated location, the baggage stored in the baggage storage facility descends and is placed on the loading platform of the autonomous vehicle. It is important to note that an anti-theft mechanism should be installed to prevent theft of stored luggage. The anti-theft mechanism preferably includes an intrusion prevention mechanism to prevent vehicles other than unmanned transport robots and people from easily entering the luggage storage facility, as well as the installation of surveillance cameras for recording and a central monitoring room for constant monitoring of camera footage. This central monitoring room may be located in a remote location or may be outsourced. For example, it may be outsourced to a major security company. Furthermore, it may be possible to install motion sensors or other sensors to monitor the surrounding area for suspicious activity. If suspicious activity is detected, an alarm may be sounded on-site to warn the suspicious person and automatically notify the security company or other organization.

The luggage storage facility must also be structured to serve as a base for the unmanned transport robot. It is preferable for the unmanned transport robot to be electrically powered from an environmental perspective, and it is preferable for the luggage storage facility to have the ability to supply this power. The power source can be solar cells or wind power installed at the luggage storage facility, or a fuel cell can be used as the primary power source, with solar cells and wind power used as secondary power sources. Hydrogen is an efficient fuel for fuel cells, but alcohol or other fuels can also be used. In this case, a fuel storage facility is required in addition to the power generation equipment. The transport vehicle can be configured to supply fuel to this fuel storage facility as needed. Therefore, it is preferable for the transport vehicle to have the function of supplying fuel to the fuel storage facility at the luggage storage facility. It is also preferable for the luggage storage facility to communicate with a luggage collection center or an information management center (mentioned earlier) regarding the various functions of the luggage storage center, so that the center can constantly monitor its status. The same applies to the security-related matters mentioned above. Based on the consumption status of the stored power generation fuel, the system is configured to notify transport vehicles departing from the baggage collection center of a fuel supply schedule and to notify workers and drivers of the need for fuel supply. Therefore, in addition to transporting baggage from the baggage collection center to the baggage storage facility, the workers and drivers also supply the fuel loaded on the transport vehicles to the fuel storage facility at the baggage storage facility. The fuel filled in the fuel tank of the transport vehicle is connected to the fuel intake port of the fuel storage facility at the baggage storage facility to ensure safe fuel supply. Note that the baggage storage facility may have a fuel consumption status notification unit that notifies the center of data regarding fuel consumption status, etc. via communication as appropriate. However, in mountainous areas where communication is difficult, the stored data can be transmitted to the transport vehicle, allowing the transport vehicle to act as a bridge for information. This bridging function is preferably configured to be performed automatically by the information storage unit of the transport vehicle and the baggage storage facility. Furthermore, when the transport vehicle returns to the baggage collection center, an information acquisition device (such as a server that manages baggage information, or a terminal that can connect to the server) also installed at the baggage collection center is automatically activated to collect all types of information brought back by the transport vehicle. Power supply to the unmanned transport robot is preferably configured to be automatically supplied when the unmanned transport robot is resting and stored in a garage or drone warehouse at the baggage storage facility. The power supply method may be configured so that the unmanned transport robot and the baggage storage facility's power supply terminal are automatically connected and power is supplied preferentially, or a non-contact power supply device may be configured so that power from the baggage storage facility is supplied to the unmanned transport robot. To efficiently carry out these communications, the unmanned transport robot can be configured to notify the baggage storage facility of its own power status via wireless communication or other means. If the power supply equipment at the baggage storage facility cannot accommodate all of the unmanned transport robots, it is preferable for the baggage storage facility's computer to notify the multiple unmanned transport robots of a power supply schedule and adjust the operation of the unmanned transport robots in accordance with the power supply schedule. Unmanned transport robots that do not receive power are preferably configured to wait in a garage or warehouse or to work. Furthermore, since the baggage storage facility functions as a base for the unmanned transport robots, it is preferable for it to have a fault diagnosis function for the unmanned transport robots and a repair function that automatically performs part replacement if a fault is diagnosed. The repair function is preferably configured to replace faulty parts with working parts when the unmanned transport robot is brought to the repair deck. Furthermore, it is preferable for the faulty parts to be loaded onto a transport vehicle and repaired at a baggage collection center. Inventory management of these spare parts is performed at the baggage storage facility, and the inventory information is stored at the baggage collection center, automating the loading of replacement parts onto transport vehicles, issuing instructions to the transport vehicles, and displaying those instructions on the terminals of the drivers and workers on board the transport vehicles.

<Embodiment 1: Description of Components: Unmanned Transport Robot>
An "unmanned transport robot" is a robot that uses the aforementioned baggage storage facility as its base, can load and transport M (N > M ≥ 2) pieces of luggage at a time from the baggage storage facility, and travels to multiple locations to deliver the luggage to its designated destination. Because the robot travels to multiple locations, the number of pieces of luggage is assumed to be two or more. However, since the number of pieces of luggage transported varies from day to day, "N > M ≥ 2" is merely a system assumption. Naturally, even if there happens to be a day when there is only one piece of luggage, this alone does not mean that the robot is outside the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, if the unmanned transport robot is an aerial drone, it may be possible to configure the robot so that the position of the loaded or held luggage on the aerial drone can be changed. This is to adjust the position of the luggage to be near the center of gravity of the aerial drone's thrust. In the case of an aerial drone, the thrust center of gravity can be adjusted by adjusting the thrust of multiple thrust sources. However, due to limitations in the thrust adjustment range, it is preferable to configure the robot so that it can also be adjusted depending on the placement of the luggage. Furthermore, it is preferable that the luggage be provided with a luggage locking mechanism that can be used by the luggage gripping mechanism of the autonomous transport robot so that the autonomous transport robot can easily transport the luggage. This luggage locking mechanism may be integrated with the luggage and placed together with the luggage when it is placed at the delivery destination, or it may be detachable from the luggage and separated from the luggage when it is placed at the delivery destination. In the former case, the luggage locking mechanism must be attached to the luggage by the person collecting the luggage. In the latter case, the luggage locking mechanism may be prepared at the luggage storage facility and attached to the luggage when the luggage transport vehicle stores the luggage there. It is preferable that multiple autonomous transport robots are deployed at one luggage storage facility. Furthermore, the multiple autonomous transport robots deployed do not all need to be of the same type; it is preferable that each autonomous transport robot be of a type suitable for the luggage it transports. For example, the robot may be an unmanned transport robot exclusively for heavy loads, an unmanned transport robot exclusively for large loads, an unmanned transport robot for long distances, an unmanned transport robot for short distances, an unmanned transport robot exclusively for daytime use, an unmanned transport robot exclusively for nighttime use, an unmanned transport robot with a refrigeration or freezing function for loads, or an amphibious unmanned transport robot. The load is not limited to a fixed shape. In the case of liquid or gas, the unmanned transport robot may be equipped with a liquid or gas tank and have the function of directly injecting the liquid or gas into the tank at the destination. The unmanned transport robot may also be equipped with a boarding function that can transport suddenly ill people or doctors. While an unmanned transport robot is generally under the jurisdiction of a single luggage storage facility, this is not necessarily limited to this. In the case of luggage storage facilities located in adjacent locations, multiple luggage storage facilities may share multiple unmanned transport robots. For example, if there is an expensive unmanned transport robot specially designed for performing advanced tasks, it is possible to share that expensive unmanned transport robot among multiple baggage storage facilities. Furthermore, if an unforeseen event such as a breakdown occurs with the unmanned transport robot at one baggage storage facility, it is possible to urgently request an unmanned transport robot from an adjacent baggage storage facility and operate that unmanned transport robot as an emergency evacuation. These processes can be configured so that information is processed and commands are sent by an unmanned transport robot operation server located at the baggage collection facility or a server installed in a central information processing center that centrally processes information from multiple baggage collection facilities. Commands can be sent from such a server to the unmanned transport robot via the baggage storage facility.

<Embodiment 1: Description of each component: Unmanned transport robot = flying drone>
Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of an unmanned transport robot being a drone 0701. As shown in the figure, a drone transports cargo by "flight." Because it is aerial, it allows for rapid transport while efficiently avoiding obstacles, making it suitable for urgent transport. On the other hand, it has drawbacks, such as difficulty transporting large quantities of heavy cargo and the need to devise a method for securing the cargo to prevent the cargo from falling. When the unmanned transport robot is a drone, flight stability is required, so information processing regarding the weight balance of the cargo is necessary. Information regarding the weight and center of gravity of the cargo to be loaded onto the drone is acquired in advance, and the drone's weight balance is adjusted to the drone's center of thrust as much as possible. However, because drones fly by rotating propellers with multiple motors, the center of thrust can be shifted by balancing the propeller rotation. Therefore, in the case of an unbalanced load, it is preferable to configure the motor output to be controlled so that the center of thrust is positioned above the center of gravity of the cargo. This type of drone requires the use of a high-power motor, which consumes a lot of power, so a drone equipped with a generator may also be used. From an environmental perspective, hydrogen or alcohol fuel is preferable for the generator's fuel. Furthermore, given the need to supply large amounts of electricity to a high-output motor, a turbine generator is efficient. Furthermore, a Halbach generator is preferable for the generator's high output. From this perspective, drones, or other unmanned transport robots, are preferably equipped with weight sensors to acquire load balance information. When delivering packages to multiple destinations, it is possible to select a route that minimizes imbalance. The route is selected taking into account balance and total flight distance. In principle, flight routes and other factors are determined in advance based on information obtained from a baggage storage facility. However, when retrieving packages, information about the packages is insufficient. Therefore, it is preferable for a computer to calculate and dynamically change or update the route as appropriate by combining information about the retrieved packages and the packages to be delivered. This computer can be installed on the drone or configured to communicate with a computer at a baggage storage facility or collection center to acquire calculation results. However, since communication is not always good in mountainous areas, it is preferable to install a calculation computer on the drone itself. Furthermore, if there is a need to communicate with computers at baggage storage facilities or collection centers, it is possible to fly a dedicated drone to relay communications so that communications are not obstructed in mountainous areas, etc. By hovering the relay unmanned drone at a high altitude, communication with baggage storage facilities and collection centers becomes possible.

<Embodiment 1: Description of each component: Unmanned transport robot = autonomous driving vehicle>
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an unmanned transport robot that is an autonomous vehicle 0800. As an example, a structure is conceivable in which multiple packages 0806 can be placed inside an opening/closing shutter 0803 (within a collection space), the bottom of the collection space is a conveyor belt 0804, and a camera 0801 and a GPS sensor 0802 are mounted on top of the vehicle to achieve unmanned transport. The opening/closing shutter is closed during transport, while the opening/closing shutter is opened during delivery, and the conveyor belt operates to discharge specific packages outside the vehicle. It is important to note here that when a conveyor belt is used, packages are automatically discharged in order, so it is assumed that the time at which multiple packages are collected and the delivery method (the order of delivery destinations) match.

<Embodiment 1: Description of each component, unmanned transport robot, work at delivery destination>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a method for receiving a package at the "destination." Here, it is assumed that the unmanned delivery robot is a drone 0904. As shown in the figure, for example, a storage box 0902 for storing packages picked up by the unmanned delivery robot drone may be located on the exterior wall of the home of the destination 0901. The drone pulls out the storage box and stores the specified package therein. A method for pulling out the storage box may include automatically pulling out the box when a specific drone, pre-programmed by a sensor, approaches within a specified range. The unmanned delivery robot, such as a drone, places the package at a specified location at the destination. In addition to the above, a sheet with a marking on it that the drone can recognize as a package placement target using image recognition may also be used. For example, a sheet with a marking similar to that of a kyudo target may be placed in the garden, and the drone may fly or drive over that location using image recognition to identify the location as a package placement target. Since the sheet may be difficult to see at night, it may be illuminated. Laser beacons may also be used. A laser beacon repeatedly emits a predetermined signal using a laser, which is read by an unmanned transport robot, targeting the area near the laser's source for placing cargo. The laser is preferably configured to begin transmitting upon communication from the unmanned transport robot. That is, when the unmanned transport robot determines, using its GPS, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), or other functions, that it is approaching the delivery destination, it sends a laser beacon transmission command to the laser beacon oscillator via omnidirectional radio waves. The laser beacon oscillator receives the command and transmits a laser. In the future, it is conceivable that multiple unmanned transport robots may operate in close proximity, and therefore it is possible for the unmanned transport robot to send a signal to the laser beacon oscillator that will create a unique laser irradiation pattern. That is, in airspaces or areas where multiple laser beacons are emitted, it is preferable to configure the laser beacon oscillator to output a unique laser oscillation pattern for each unmanned transport robot. The omnidirectional laser beacon oscillation command output to the laser beacon oscillator device does not need to be a long-distance radio wave; it can have a transmission range of at most several tens of meters. The unmanned transport robot may return to its destination without any notification after delivering the package. However, it may also be configured to notify the destination of the package delivery by sounding a horn, or to send a notification email or make an automated voice call to a smartphone used by a resident or other person at the destination within approximately three minutes before the unmanned transport robot arrives. This automated voice call may be made by an automated information device installed in a baggage storage facility or by a baggage collection center when the unmanned transport robot enters within a predetermined range of the destination.

While the above describes the structure of the present invention, its implementation as an operating method or program also falls within the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention also includes an operating method or program for a logistics system consisting of a "baggage collection step" in which packages with specified destinations are collected at a baggage collection center managed by a full-time human, a "transportation step" in which packages are loaded from the baggage collection center and transported by trucks N or more packages at a time, a "storage step" in which N packages from the trucks arriving from the baggage collection center are stored in a baggage storage facility not managed by a full-time human, and a "baggage delivery step" in which the baggage storage facility is used as a base, and an unmanned transport robot is able to load packages from the baggage storage facility and transport M packages (N > M ≥ 2) at a time, patrolling multiple locations and delivering the packages to their designated destinations. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Embodiment 2: Overview mainly related to claim 2>
In addition to the features of the first embodiment, the second embodiment is a logistics system according to claim 1, in which the luggage storage facility is an index-type luggage storage facility capable of accommodating N luggage and identified by index information that has a one-to-one correspondence with delivery destinations, and the index-type luggage storage facility has a structure that enables an unmanned transport robot to pick up luggage according to the index. This index luggage storage facility is used by the unmanned transport robot when picking up luggage for transport, and because it is indexed, it has the advantage of ensuring a correlation between information about the luggage and the actual luggage.

<Description of Components in Second Embodiment>
The second embodiment includes all of the basic configurations of the first embodiment, and further includes an index-type luggage storage area in the luggage storage facility. Since the features other than the index-type luggage storage area have already been explained in the first embodiment, the following description will focus on the features related to the index-type luggage storage area, which is a distinctive feature of the second embodiment.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the baggage storage facility of this embodiment, focusing only on the "baggage storage facility" and its surroundings from Figure 1. As shown in the figure, the baggage storage facility has an index-type baggage storage area 0210, which is used by transport vehicles to carry in baggage and by unmanned transport robots to deliver baggage.

An "index-type luggage storage" is a system for associating and processing N pieces of luggage with destination information. It is an index-type luggage storage that corresponds one-to-one with destinations (longitude and latitude information, GPS information, information used by the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System "Michibiki"), allowing an unmanned transport robot to pick up and deliver the luggage according to the index. Specifically, luggage for multiple destinations is mixed in a luggage storage facility, and an unmanned transport robot picks up the mixed luggage and delivers it to the destination. To make it easier and more efficient for the unmanned transport robot to pick up the luggage, the luggage storage locations are stored according to the index, i.e., in an orderly manner. This makes retrieval by the unmanned transport robot more efficient, leading to savings in time and cost. It also reduces the complexity of inputting information into the unmanned transport robot. The information is input by a computer at the luggage storage facility that communicates at least the index information of the index-type luggage storage facility and the associated geographical information of the luggage's destination to the unmanned transport robot. In response to this notification, the unmanned transport robot lands, hovers, or stops at an index in the index-type luggage storage area to grasp the luggage, and then moves according to the associated geographical information to deliver the luggage. Note that since the unmanned transport robot has multiple luggage grasping units or multiple luggage loading positions, it is necessary to store the grasping unit number of the luggage it has grasped or loaded according to each index in the index-type luggage storage area. Since there are multiple grasping units, this is necessary to determine at which patrol point the luggage being grasped by which grasping unit should be placed when patrolling to the delivery destination.

FIG. 11 shows a specific example of indexing various databases. This is a conceptual illustration and is not intended to be limiting. For example, assume there are four databases: a "customer database 1102," an "order database 1101,""delivery data 1103," and "customer delivery data 1104." The "customer database" is information for accurately determining the location of a delivery destination. It can be expressed as longitude (degrees) east and latitude (degrees) north. This information is associated with the customer's ID, etc. The "order database" is a database that manages order details by linking them with the delivery destination ID, product ID, quantity, etc., in units such as order ID. The "delivery data" is a database that transmits the actual order data managed in the order database to a delivery vehicle. Here, for example, it shows that the item with "order ID 103" (the product "WEAR") is located in "INDEX A4." Based on this, an unmanned transport robot efficiently grasps and delivers items using the index.
The "customer delivery data" indicates that the product with "order ID 103" in the "A4" folder should be delivered to a destination at east longitude "a1" and north latitude "b1." Since east longitude "a1" and north latitude "b1" are registered in the customer database, the package can be delivered accurately.

Figure 10 shows an example of a situation in which an unmanned transport robot picks up a package from an index-type luggage storage area. Here, we assume that the unmanned transport robot is a drone. When the drone receives a delivery information command from a luggage storage computer to pick up packages with "A4ID1240" and "B4ID1245," it picks up the package from the indexed luggage storage location and delivers it to the corresponding destination. In this example, "A4ID1240" indicates that "A4" is the index value where the package to be picked up is located, that the package to be picked up is located at the intersection of the alphabet string "A" and the numeric string "4," and that "ID1240" represents the destination coordinates of coordinates (a1, b1) (which is the "Yamada family home"). In "B4ID01245," "B4" indicates that the package to be picked up is located at "4" on "B," and "ID1245" indicates the destination coordinates, (a2, b2) (the Suzuki family home). By using an index-type package storage area in this way, pickup by an unmanned transport robot can be performed unmanned by computer alone. Naturally, the unmanned transport robot must be configured to land, hover, and stop correctly at each index position in the index-type package storage area. For this purpose, for example, a code could be displayed at each package storage area so that the unmanned transport robot can recognize the index, and the unmanned transport robot could read the code and correctly recognize the index position. In other words, a camera could be installed on the unmanned transport robot, and the unmanned transport robot could determine the package location it should access by recognizing the code captured by the camera.

<Embodiment 2: Operation method, operation method, and operation program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention also includes an operation method or program for realizing this as an operation method or program for a logistics system. In other words, in addition to the features described in embodiment 1, the scope of the present invention also includes an operation method or program for a logistics system having an index-type luggage storage substep in which the luggage storage step stores luggage in an index-type luggage storage area that can accommodate N luggage and is identified by index information that has a one-to-one correspondence with delivery destinations, so that the luggage can be picked up by an unmanned transport robot according to the index. The content of each step is the same as that described above for each structure.

<Embodiment 2 Other Examples of Inventions Not Claimed in the Claims>
The above describes an embodiment in which an index-type baggage storage area is provided at a baggage storage facility, based on the first embodiment. Another means for the unmanned transport robot to associate and grasp baggage at the baggage storage facility with baggage delivery information is to output a signal at the baggage storage facility that enables the unmanned transport robot to recognize a storage box or the like that contains the next baggage that the unmanned transport robot is to grasp, etc. The recognition signal can be achieved by turning on or blinking an LED or other light that enables the unmanned transport robot to recognize the storage box, etc. A computer at the baggage storage facility outputs a lighting command to an LED or the like that is installed in a predetermined position near the storage box that contains the next baggage that the unmanned transport robot is to grasp, etc., and the LED of the specified storage box is turned on or blinked to guide the unmanned transport robot to that storage location. In this case, the unmanned transport robot and the computer at the baggage storage facility work together, so the baggage storage facility confirms that the unmanned transport robot that is to pick up the baggage is in a nearby location, and the computer at the baggage storage facility outputs a notification to the unmanned transport robot that the baggage pickup operation has begun. For example, in the case of a flying drone, the drone hovers in the sky and moves to a position where it can recognize all of the LEDs or other lighting (not limited to LEDs as long as they emit light, but also organic electroluminescence, flashlights, laser light sources, etc.) that are placed in predetermined positions relative to the storage boxes. While hovering, the drone observes which LEDs are lit or flashing, and when it recognizes a lit or flashing LED, it moves to the storage box specified by that LED to pick up the baggage. The same applies to transport vehicles. For example, since it is difficult to identify storage boxes or the exact location to which the item should be moved if only one LED is lit or flashing, it is preferable to light up multiple LEDs, preferably three or more, to identify a single storage box. It is also possible to increase the amount of location information by using multiple LED lighting and flashing colors or multiple flashing speeds.

<Embodiment 3: Overview mainly related to claim 3>
In addition to the above features of embodiment 2, embodiment 3 is a logistics system that further includes a delivery command device having a delivery information storage unit that stores delivery information that associates index information, which is information that indicates the index of an index-type luggage storage area where the unmanned transport robot should pick up the luggage, destination information, which is information that indicates the destination to which the luggage in the luggage storage area at the index position indicated by the index information should be delivered, and unmanned transport robot identification information, which is information that identifies the unmanned transport robot to deliver the luggage, and a delivery command sending unit that sends delivery information including the index information stored in the delivery information storage unit and the destination information associated with it to the unmanned transport robot identified by the unmanned transport robot identification information associated with them, and the unmanned transport robot has a delivery information receiving unit that receives the delivery information, and a patrol delivery control unit that controls the operation of the unmanned transport robot to patrol multiple locations based on the received delivery information.
This delivery order device may be located in a baggage collection center, a baggage storage facility, or may be installed independently. Also, a delivery order device having one function may be designed and operated such that its functional parts are separated into distributed locations and function as a single delivery order device as a whole.

<Description of Components in Third Embodiment>
The logistics system of this embodiment is based on the second embodiment, and in addition to the features of the second embodiment, includes a "delivery instruction device 300" which has the functions of a "delivery information storage unit 0311" and a "delivery instruction transmission unit 0312." The unmanned transport robot also includes a "delivery information receiving unit 0321" and a "circulating delivery control unit 0322" which receive at least the "index information" and "destination information" included in the delivery information 0301.
Each function will be explained below.

<Embodiment 3: Description of each component: Delivery instruction device>
The delivery instruction device has at least a delivery instruction storage unit and a delivery instruction transmission unit. The above two components of the delivery instruction device will be described below in order.
Third Embodiment: Description of Components: Delivery Information Storage Unit of Delivery Instruction Device
The "delivery information storage unit" stores delivery instructions. Here, "delivery instructions" are information that associates "index information,""destinationinformation," and "unmanned transport robot identification information." In addition, baggage storage facility identification information may also be associated with these. This is because more reliable information processing is possible if the unmanned transport robot stores its own identification information in association with this baggage storage facility identification information and processes information only related to the delivery information that includes or is associated with the associated baggage storage facility identification information. "Index information" is information that indicates the index of the index-type baggage storage facility in the baggage storage facility where the baggage to be picked up is stored for the unmanned transport robot. "Delivery information" is information that indicates the destination to which the baggage stored in the baggage storage facility located at the index indicated by the index information should be delivered. Examples of such information include, but are not limited to, longitude and latitude information, GPS information that can be substituted for this, and location information provided by the quasi-zenith satellite "Michibiki." For example, topographical information, landmark information, and icons such as a target arrow may be used instead of or in addition to these. The "automated transport robot identification information" is information that identifies the automated transport robot that is to deliver the package stored at the location indicated by the index information to the destination specified by the destination information. This information is generated based on order information (consisting of one or more of orderer identification information, ordered item identification information, ordered item quantity, destination identification information, etc., but is not limited to these and may include other information) received in the order database. While package transportation is generally performed by a single automated transport robot, in the case of particularly large packages, a single package may be transported by multiple automated transport robots. In this case, multiple automated transport robot identification information may be included in a single delivery information. The delivery information may also be configured to include the package transport role assigned to each automated transport robot. Based on the order information and information about the package storage facility that has jurisdiction over the destination area, the delivery command device obtains the operating status and operation schedule of the automated transport robot from a computer at the package storage facility, etc., and selects the appropriate automated transport robot to be used. This selection process acquires identification information for the automated guided vehicle that will deliver the ordered items to the destination. Information associated with the acquired automated guided vehicle identification information is stored as delivery information. Along with the delivery information, transport schedule information is generated, including the transport vehicle's operation schedule and storage index information for the luggage storage facility to which the transport vehicle will deliver the luggage. The operation schedule for the automated guided vehicle is also fixed. These schedules are preferably configured to be dynamically changed. This is because flexible planning and optimization are required in response to the volume and type of luggage to be delivered that are subsequently received. These schedules are optimized based on weather forecast information, the level of need for the luggage at the destination, the desired final delivery time at the destination, and other factors. Information regarding the weather, the level of need, and the desired final delivery time are acquired via the Internet, various information service providers, or information input from smartphones used by residents of the destination.

Figure 3 shows the contents of "delivery information 0301," which is part of the functional configuration of embodiment 3 and is stored in the delivery information storage unit. As shown in the figure, "delivery information" is information that includes at least index information 0302, destination information 0303, and unmanned transport robot identification information 0304, and associates these items. Here, "index information" refers to information that indicates the index of the index-type luggage storage area where the unmanned transport robot should pick up the luggage. Here, "destination information" refers to information that indicates the destination to which the luggage stored in the luggage storage area at the index position indicated by the index information should be delivered. Here, "unmanned transport robot identification information" refers to information that identifies the unmanned transport robot that should transport the luggage.

<Delivery instruction sending unit>
The "delivery command sending unit 0312" is a function that sends delivery information, including index information stored in the delivery information storage unit and associated delivery destination information, to an unmanned transport robot identified by the unmanned transport robot identification information associated therewith. The unmanned transport robot identification information may be composed of multiple character strings, with each digit indicating an attribute of the unmanned transport robot. This is because it enables high-speed processing when searching for an unmanned transport robot in an unmanned transport robot operation server, etc. For example, the first two digits may indicate the type of unmanned transport robot, the next three digits the function of the unmanned transport robot, and the next four digits the serial number of the unmanned transport robot. However, the allocation is not limited to this, and the order may also not be limited.

Figure 3 shows the contents of the "unmanned transport robot identification information" stored in the delivery command transmission unit, which is part of the functional configuration of embodiment 3. As shown in the figure, the "unmanned transport robot identification information" includes at least index information and delivery address information. These are stored in association with each other and together constitute "delivery information." The definitions of "index information" and "delivery address information" are as described above. The delivery command transmission unit performs the function of transmitting delivery information including this "index information" and "delivery address information" to the unmanned transport robot identified by the unmanned transport robot identification information associated with it. This makes it possible to specify delivery address information and the target package to the unmanned transport robot by using communication means, even if there is no person on-site to manage the package at the package storage facility.

<Embodiment 3: Unmanned transport robot>
As described above, the unmanned transport robot in this embodiment has the delivery information receiving unit 0321 and the route delivery control unit 0322.

The "delivery information receiving unit" is a function that receives delivery information. This function receives delivery commands (including index information and destination information) sent by the delivery command sending unit of the delivery command device. This allows the unmanned transport robot to receive information used to control the mobile delivery described below, and based on this, it can correctly deliver packages to their destinations, making this a prerequisite function for mobile delivery.

The "circulating delivery control unit" is a function that patrols multiple locations based on received delivery information. Since delivery information includes index information and destination information, proper delivery can be achieved by controlling the patrol based on the delivery information. In principle, it is preferable to set a route that is a single stroke for the patrol, and it is preferable that the unmanned transport robot be configured to automatically generate a single stroke route based on the received delivery information. It is assumed that the unmanned transport robot has some kind of geographical information for at least the area under its jurisdiction. In principle, it is preferable that the unmanned transport robot be configured to navigate autonomously. However, it is preferable that the robot be configured to request help from a central source for route instructions in the event of a malfunction or unexpected event. For example, it is conceivable that the central source could set a route that is not normally used based on satellite imagery, etc., and instruct the unmanned transport robot.

Third Embodiment Hardware Configuration
The hardware configuration of the logistics system in this embodiment will be described.
A portion of the configuration of the delivery command device and unmanned transport robot of the present invention can be configured as a program that runs on a computer or an embedded system.
The delivery command device includes a "delivery information holding program" that holds delivery information, which is information that associates index information, which is information that indicates the index of an index-type luggage storage area where the unmanned transport robot should pick up the luggage, destination information, which is information that indicates the destination to which the luggage in the luggage storage area at the index position indicated by the index information should be delivered, and unmanned transport robot identification information, which is information that identifies the unmanned transport robot that should transport the luggage, and a "delivery command sending program" that sends the delivery information, which includes the index information held in the delivery information holding unit and the destination information associated with it, to the unmanned transport robot identified by the unmanned transport robot identification information associated with it.The unmanned transport robot has a "delivery information receiving program" that receives delivery information and a "patrol delivery control program" that patrols multiple locations based on the received delivery information, and each program is recorded in the non-volatile memory shown in Figure 23, loaded into the main memory as appropriate, and then read and executed by the CPU.

Third Embodiment: Operation Method, Operation Method, and Operation Program
The scope of the present invention also includes an operating method or a program. In other words, in addition to the features described in the first or second embodiment, the present invention also includes a delivery command step including a delivery information holding step for holding delivery information that associates index information, which indicates the index of an index-type baggage storage location where the unmanned transport robot should pick up the baggage, destination information, which indicates the destination to which the baggage stored in the baggage storage location indicated by the index information should be delivered, and unmanned transport robot identification information, which identifies the unmanned transport robot that should transport the baggage, and a delivery command sending step for sending the delivery information, including the index information held in the delivery information holding step and the associated destination information, to the unmanned transport robot identified by the associated unmanned transport robot identification information. The unmanned transport robot also includes a delivery information receiving step for receiving the delivery information and a patrol delivery control step for controlling the operation of the unmanned transport robot to patrol multiple locations based on the received delivery information. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Outline of the fourth embodiment, mainly related to claim 4>
In addition to the features of embodiment 3, embodiment 4 is a logistics system in which the delivery command sending unit has a delivery information with patrol method information sending means that sends delivery information to an unmanned transport robot as delivery information, including patrol method information, which is information that indicates the method of patrolling the destination indicated by the destination information included in the delivery information.

<Explanation of each component>
In the physical distribution system of this embodiment, in addition to the third embodiment, the "delivery instruction transmitting unit" in the "delivery instruction device" has a means for transmitting delivery information with tour method information.
The function will be explained below.

<Delivery instruction sending unit, delivery information sending means with tour method information>
The "delivery command sending unit" is a function that sends delivery information, including the index information stored in the delivery information storage unit and the associated destination information, to the unmanned transport robot identified by the associated unmanned transport robot identification information. In this embodiment, the unit has a "delivery information with patrol method information sending means" that sends delivery information, including patrol method information that indicates the method of patrolling the destinations indicated by the included destination information, to the unmanned transport robot.

Route information indicates routes that maximize delivery efficiency. As mentioned above, automated transport robots deliver to multiple destinations. Depending on the route, the robot may end up taking a circuitous route, for example, by repeatedly reversing the route it has taken. Despite this, the robot ultimately completes the delivery correctly. Furthermore, efficient delivery minimizes the energy consumed by the automated transport robot and shortens delivery times. Therefore, it is desirable not only to control the robot using information linking the delivery destination and the package, but also to generate or acquire information about the route and transmit this information to the automated transport robot. In addition to improving delivery efficiency, if the order in which the packages are unloaded can cause the center of gravity of the package to shift, it is also possible to select a route that minimizes this shift. While minimizing flight or driving distance and preventing the center of gravity of the package from shifting are important, if the recipient's delivery timing is specified, it is also necessary to select a route that allows the package to be unloaded just in time (delivery timed to the delivery time). Furthermore, if the travel range is large and different weather forecasts are available within that range, it is preferable to travel in a way that avoids areas with bad weather as much as possible. Therefore, it is preferable to determine delivery routes using weather forecast information, etc. In particular, in the case of flying drones, rain, wind, the probability of lightning strikes, etc. can have a significant impact on flight, so it is preferable to determine routes that avoid areas with bad weather.

To explain this using Figure 5 mentioned above, if an unmanned transport robot at a luggage collection point (base) is to make rounds to deliver luggage to the "Yamada House ID 1240" and "Suzuki House ID 1245," it can first deliver to the Yamada House, then to the Suzuki House, and then follow the route as shown in the figure, thereby achieving the most efficient rounds.

Regarding the "means for transmitting delivery information with route information," one method is to determine the route based on geographical factors such as distance, or it is also possible to determine the most efficient route based on traffic information such as current congestion.

<Fourth Embodiment Hardware Configuration>
The hardware configuration of the logistics system in this embodiment will be described below, with the same parts as those in the previous embodiment omitted.

The delivery command device has a "delivery command sending program," which contains a "delivery information with patrol method information sending subprogram" that sends delivery information to the unmanned transport robot, including patrol method information, which indicates the method of patrolling the destinations indicated by the destination information contained therein. The delivery command sending program and the delivery information with patrol method information sending subprogram are recorded in non-volatile memory, as shown in the basic computer configuration in Figure 23, and are loaded into main memory as appropriate and read and executed by the CPU.

<Fourth embodiment> Operation method, operation method, and operation program
The scope of the present invention also includes cases where the above is realized as an operating method or program. In other words, in addition to the features described in embodiment 3, the scope of the present invention also includes an operating method or program for a logistics system that includes a substep of transmitting delivery information with patrol method information, in which the delivery command sending step transmits delivery information to an unmanned transport robot, the delivery information including patrol method information, which is information indicating the method of patrolling the destinations indicated by the destination information included in the delivery command. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Fifth embodiment: Overview mainly related to claim 5>
In addition to the features of embodiment 3 or 4, embodiment 5 is a logistics system characterized in that the route delivery control unit is an unmanned transport robot that further has a route method information generation means for generating route method information, which is information indicating the method of patrolling multiple locations, based on the received delivery information.

<Explanation of each component>
In the logistics system of this embodiment, in addition to the first or second embodiment, the "unmanned transport robot patrol delivery control unit" in the "unmanned transport robot" has a patrol method information generation means.
The function will be explained below.

<<Route Delivery Control Unit, Route Method Information Generation Means>>
The "circulating delivery control unit" is a function that circulates multiple locations based on the received delivery information. In this embodiment, it has a "circulating method information generation means" that generates circulating method information, which is information that indicates the method of circulating multiple locations, based on the received delivery information.

The patrol method information is as described in the fourth embodiment. Whereas in the fourth embodiment the patrol method information was generated or acquired by the delivery command device, in this embodiment the patrol method information is generated by the unmanned transport robot. The effect of this is basically as described in the fourth embodiment, but compared to the fourth embodiment where the information is managed by a baggage collection center, which is a place that manages huge amounts of baggage, the unmanned transport robot only needs to calculate the patrol method for the destinations to which it will deliver, so the capacity and load per robot are distributed. Furthermore, even if a communication problem occurs at the baggage collection center, the resulting disruption can be kept to a minimum.

Fifth Embodiment Hardware Configuration
The hardware configuration of the logistics system in this embodiment will be described below, with the same parts as those in the previous embodiment omitted.

The unmanned transport robot has a "circulating delivery control program," which includes a "circulating method information generation subprogram" that generates circulating method information, which indicates how to patrol multiple locations, based on received delivery information. The circulating delivery control program and circulating method information generation subprogram are recorded in the non-volatile memory shown in the computer hardware configuration in Figure 23, and are loaded into the main memory as appropriate, then read and executed by the CPU.

<Fifth embodiment> Operation method, operation method, and operation program
The scope of the present invention also includes cases where the above is realized as an operating method or program. That is, in addition to the features described in the third or fourth embodiment, the scope of the present invention also includes an operating method or program for a logistics system characterized in that the unmanned transport robot's patrol delivery control step further includes a patrol method information generation substep of generating patrol method information, which is information indicating a method of patrolling multiple locations, based on the received delivery information. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Embodiment 6: Overview mainly related to claim 6>
In addition to the features of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, embodiment 6 is a logistics system in which the unmanned transport robot further has an energy storage unit for the power source and an energy supply receiving unit that receives energy from an external source to the energy storage unit, and the luggage storage facility further has an energy supply device that supplies energy to the energy supply receiving unit of the unmanned transport robot.

<Explanation of each component>
In addition to the features of any one of the first to fifth embodiments, the logistics system of this embodiment has an "unmanned transport robot" that includes an "energy storage unit 0422" and an "energy supply receiving unit 0421" as shown in Fig. 4. Also, the "luggage storage facility" includes an "energy supply device 0411."
Each function will be explained below.

<Embodiment 6: Unmanned transport robot>
The unmanned transport robot receives "delivery information" including at least index information and destination information from a delivery command sending unit. This information is received by a delivery information receiving unit. The unmanned transport robot then makes deliveries to multiple destinations. Since these operations are carried out mechanically, energy 0401 is naturally required, and considering continuous transport, it is necessary to receive and store energy supplies. For this reason, there is an "energy supply receiving unit" for receiving energy supplies and an "energy storage unit" for storing energy for the power source 0425.

<Energy supply receiving unit>
The "energy supply receiving unit" is a function that receives energy from the outside to the energy storage unit.
Electric power is the most common energy source. In this case, the energy supply receiver is preferably contactless, and may be configured as a receiver for contactless charging, for example.

Energy storage unit
An "energy storage unit" is a function that stores energy for a power source. When the energy is electricity, lithium-ion batteries are common. When the unmanned transport robot is equipped with a fuel cell, hydrogen may also be used. Hydrogen can be used in both gas and liquid form, and the energy storage unit can have a tank structure. In this case, the liquid or gas supplied from the energy supply receiver can be stored in the tank, or the energy supply receiver can be configured to replace the entire tank.

<Embodiment 6: Luggage Storage (Energy Supply Device)>
The "outside" of the energy supply receiving unit as described above basically means that it is desirable to receive a stable energy supply. An unmanned transport robot delivers packages to a different destination each time, but the "baggage storage" where the packages are collected is specified (it is not limited to one, but it will always go to one of the luggage storages). Furthermore, the luggage storage is basically a space that is under the management of the party operating this system. Therefore, in order to achieve a stable and reliable energy supply, it is desirable to achieve the energy supply at the luggage storage.
The "energy supply device" present in the baggage storage facility is a device that supplies energy to the energy supply receiver of the unmanned transport robot. The circumstances behind this are as described above. Furthermore, since the baggage storage facility is operated unmanned, it is necessary to receive energy supply without human intervention. Therefore, when the unmanned transport robot is not delivering baggage, it is conceivable that it will be stored in a hangar or parked at a departure/arrival port, and it is preferable to configure it so that it can be charged contactlessly at these times. Of course, contact-type charging is also acceptable as long as it is detachable and does not require human intervention. Furthermore, it is not limited to electricity, and liquid fuels such as hydrogen gas or gasoline can also be used as energy.

Figure 12 shows an example of an energy supply device and an unmanned transport robot that receives energy from it. The unmanned transport robot 1200 is a drone that has a built-in battery pack 1201, which is an energy storage unit, and a receiver 1202, which is an energy supply receiver, located at the bottom. When not transporting cargo, the drone lands on its own in a storage location 1210 installed in a cargo storage facility and enters a stored state. At this time, power is transmitted by electromagnetic induction from a power transmission unit 1211, which is an energy supply device installed in the storage location. At this time, the drone receives power via the receiver and charges the battery pack. In this way, when the unmanned transport robot is not in use, it stops on its own in a designated storage location, enters a charging state, and prepares for the next transport.

<Sixth embodiment> Operation method, operation method, and operation program
The present invention also covers the case where the above is realized as an operating method or a program.
The present invention also encompasses a method and a program for operating a logistics system in which the unmanned transport robot has an energy storage step for storing energy in a power source and an energy supply receiving step for receiving energy from an external source so that it can be used in the energy storage step, and the luggage storage facility further has an energy supply step for supplying energy to the unmanned transport robot during the energy supply receiving step. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Embodiment 7 Overview mainly relating to claim 13>
The logistics system using an unmanned transport robot includes: an unmanned transport robot that uses a baggage storage facility as a base and loads baggage from collection destinations to the baggage storage facility and transports it to the baggage storage facility, the unmanned transport robot being capable of transporting M (N > M ≥ 2) baggage at a time and patrolling multiple locations to collect baggage from designated collection destinations; a baggage storage facility capable of managing N baggage for handing over the collected baggage to a transport vehicle for transport to a baggage collection center, the baggage storage facility not being managed by a full-time person for handing over the baggage collected from the unmanned transport robot to the transport vehicle; a transport vehicle that transports N or more baggage at a time from the baggage storage facility for loading and transporting to the baggage collection center; and a baggage collection center managed by a full-time person that has the function of collecting the baggage carried by the transport vehicle. This allows the unmanned transport robot to collect baggage from multiple baggage collection destinations to the baggage storage facility, and when the number of baggage is sufficient, the collected baggage is transported all at once by the transport vehicle to the baggage collection center, where it can be collected efficiently.

Figure 13 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a logistics system 1300 for the purpose of collecting luggage. An unmanned transport robot 1304 collects M pieces of luggage at a time from a luggage collection destination 1303 and temporarily stores them in a luggage storage area, after which a transport vehicle 1305 transports N or more pieces of luggage at a time to a luggage collection center 1301. Therefore, the flow is such that luggage is collected from the customers it serves and then collected at the luggage collection center.

<Embodiment 7: Overview of Recall Order Flow>
When a customer (a parcel collection destination) requests collection of a parcel, the request is initially sent to the parcel collection center responsible for the destination's area. The parcel collection request from the customer is configured to be accepted, for example, via a webpage, and the information accepted on the webpage is managed by a parcel information server device, such as a parcel information collection center, which centrally manages parcel information. The parcel collection acceptance webpage has designated fields, and unregistered customers are prompted to enter their address, names of housemates, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. the first time they access the page. A user name and password are then assigned. Subsequently, when the user accesses the page using the user name and password, the computer retrieves the associated address and name. If the access is a parcel collection request, the parcel collection center responsible for the registered address is retrieved from the parcel collection center database, and the parcel collection request is output to the computer associated with that parcel collection center. The collection request includes information such as the customer ID of the collection destination, the customer ID of the delivery destination, the type, weight, and size of the parcel, and is managed by order ID. Upon receiving a collection request, the collection center transmits collection information, including the collection destination's customer ID, to the baggage storage facility that includes the collection destination. Upon receiving the collection information, the baggage storage facility associates collection location information (such as the customer's home) corresponding to the customer ID with information about the storage location, such as the baggage storage facility's index information and the time information during which the index can be used, and issues a collection command to the automated guided robot. As is common throughout this specification, each storage facility may maintain a usage schedule for each index of its index-type baggage storage facility. During a certain time period, the baggage storage location with a specific index is occupied by a package waiting to be delivered. After a certain time has passed, the package at that index location is transported by the automated guided robot, and the index location becomes unoccupied. In this way, the occupancy and unoccupancy of each index can be managed over time, and the automated guided robot can be instructed to use the index location. This scheduling may not be managed by the computer at the baggage storage facility, but may be managed by the computer at each collection center that oversees the baggage storage facility, or by a central server that manages all of the collection centers. This usage schedule must be processed by a computer so that it can be appropriately generated based on the activity status of the transport vehicles and unmanned transport robots, the congestion status of the transport vehicle and unmanned transport robot's operating area (e.g., roads and air routes), weather, disaster conditions, etc. Therefore, the computer that generates this usage schedule constantly collects this information and processes it to always accurately and optimally create a schedule. The unmanned transport robot follows the collection command to collect the luggage from the collection destination and store it in the specified storage location. The stored luggage is then sent to a luggage collection center and collected. In this way, luggage can be efficiently collected at the luggage collection center based on collection requests from customers.
The collected parcels can be sent from the parcel collection center to the parcel collection center corresponding to the destination. At this time, the sender's parcel collection center sends at least the destination customer ID associated with the parcel as transportation information to the parcel collection center to which the destination belongs. The destination parcel collection center can then deliver the parcel to the destination using the logistics system of any of the first to sixth embodiments based on the transportation information.

<Embodiment 7: Description of Components: Baggage Collection Center>
In this embodiment, N or more packages sent together from several luggage storage locations are collected and stored at a luggage collection center. For example, it is preferable to store the packages together by destination. This allows for efficient delivery of subsequent packages. The sorting of the packages may be performed by an automatic sorting device or manually.

<Embodiment 7: Description of each component: Luggage storage>
At the luggage storage facility, unmanned transport robots collect luggage from collection points, and then transport the large amount of luggage to a luggage collection center by truck. Because the storage facility is unmanned, the loading of collected luggage onto trucks is automated. For example, the luggage storage area could be configured as a conveyor belt, and when a truck stops at the loading point, the conveyor belt could move the luggage to the loading point and load it directly. However, just like with luggage delivery, luggage collection points are scattered. Furthermore, in the case of luggage collection, collection requests are made when a customer needs transportation, making it difficult to predict collection requests. Furthermore, there tends to be fewer needs for collection than for delivery, so it would be extremely inefficient to have a truck go around collecting luggage every time a request for collection is made.
Therefore, the luggage can be collected from the collection destination by an unmanned transport robot, collected at a luggage storage facility, and then transported together in a transport vehicle, thereby improving the efficiency of luggage collection.

<Embodiment 7: Description of each component: Transporter>
The transport vehicle may have the same configuration as the transport vehicle of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
More than N pieces of luggage collected at the luggage storage area are loaded at one time and transported to the luggage collection center. In the second embodiment, luggage loaded at the luggage collection center is transported to the luggage storage area and automatically placed in an index luggage storage area, but it is possible to load the collected luggage after all luggage has been unloaded. This allows the transport vehicle to always travel between the luggage collection center and the luggage storage area with luggage loaded, enabling efficient operation.

<Embodiment 7: Description of Components: Unmanned Transport Robot>
The unmanned transport robot of this embodiment collects luggage from a luggage collection destination where a luggage collection request has been made and automatically transports it to a luggage storage area in a luggage storage facility. The configuration may be the same as that described in the first to seventh embodiments. However, various collection methods are possible. The simplest method is to determine the location of a luggage storage area 1502 at a collection destination 1501 in advance, as shown in FIG. 15 , and place a target mark indicating the luggage storage area. The unmanned transport robot 1504 simply recognizes luggage 1503 on the target mark as luggage to be collected and picks it up. Various methods are also possible, such as attaching an identification label to the luggage so that the unmanned transport robot can recognize the label with a camera, or attaching a tag that emits radio waves so that the unmanned transport robot can receive and recognize the radio waves. This is not a limitation. Any method that allows the unmanned transport robot to recognize luggage to be collected is within the scope of the present invention.

Seventh Embodiment Operation Method, Operation Method, and Operation Program
The above is the structure of the present invention, but it is also within the scope of the present invention to implement it as an operating method or program. That is, the present invention also encompasses an operating method or program for a logistics system using an unmanned transport robot, which includes: an unmanned transport robot that uses a baggage storage facility as a base and loads baggage from a baggage collection destination at the baggage storage facility and transports it to the baggage storage facility; a baggage collection step in which the unmanned transport robot patrols multiple locations and collects baggage from designated collection destinations; a baggage storage facility capable of managing N baggage units for handing over the collected baggage to a transport vehicle for transport to a baggage collection center, a baggage storage step not under the full-time supervision of a storage person, for handing over the collected baggage from the unmanned transport robot to the transport vehicle; a transport step in which N or more baggage units are transported at a time by a transport vehicle from the baggage storage facility to be loaded and transported to the baggage collection center; and a baggage collection step in which the baggage transported by the transport vehicle is collected at a baggage collection location under full-time supervision and has the function of collecting the baggage. The content of each step is the same as that of the structure described above.

<Embodiment 8: Overview mainly related to claim 14>
In addition to the features of the seventh embodiment, the eighth embodiment is a logistics system having an index-type luggage storage area, in which the luggage storage step is an index-type luggage storage area that can accommodate N luggage and is identified by index information that has a one-to-one correspondence with luggage collection destinations, and luggage collected by an unmanned transport robot can be stored according to the index. Since the location where the collected luggage should be stored corresponding to the collection destination is specified, the unmanned transport robot only needs to place the luggage as instructed. If the luggage placement is instructed so that subsequent collection and delivery processes are efficient, the system can be operated as an efficient logistics system.

<Embodiment 8: Description of Components: Index-Type Luggage Storage Area>
An index-type luggage storage area has multiple luggage storage areas arranged in an array, and each luggage storage area is assigned an index position. Each luggage storage area is configured so that an unmanned transport robot can place luggage therein. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the unmanned transport robot is configured to be able to pick up luggage, but a similar configuration is acceptable. Being able to pick up luggage also means that it is also possible to place luggage therein. Specific examples of collection destinations and index positions are omitted because the correspondence between index positions and delivery destinations has been explained in detail in FIG. 10. The same concept is acceptable, as the only difference is that the delivery destination has been changed to a collection destination.

The unmanned transport robot places the collected luggage in a luggage storage location indicated by an index position associated with the collection destination. Since the luggage storage location can be freely specified anywhere where luggage is not present, various methods are possible for allocating collection destinations and index positions. For example, the storage location can be determined based on the delivery destination. In this case, if the index column is determined according to the luggage collection center to which the delivery destination belongs, luggage can be grouped by destination, making sorting of destinations at the luggage collection center more efficient. Furthermore, determining the index position based on the size and weight of the luggage allows for efficient loading of luggage onto transport vehicles. For example, if an index is specified to locate the storage location where heavy luggage is loaded onto the transport vehicle first, the heavy luggage will be loaded at the bottom, and storing luggage by size can be considered to make effective use of loading space. Various other index allocation methods are possible, and the method is not limited to the above. Furthermore, the index luggage storage area may also serve as the index luggage storage area for delivery in embodiment 2.

<Embodiment 8: Operation method, operation method, and operation program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but it is also within the scope of the present invention to realize this as an operating method or program. In addition to the features described in embodiment 7, the scope of the present invention also includes an operating method or program for an index-type luggage storage sub-step logistics system in which the luggage storage step is an index-type luggage storage area that can accommodate N luggage and is identified by index information that has a one-to-one correspondence with the luggage collection destination, and luggage collected by the unmanned transport robot can be stored according to the index. The content of each step is the same as that described above for each structure.

<Outline of Embodiment 9, mainly related to claim 15>
In addition to the above features of the eighth embodiment, the ninth embodiment is a logistics system further including a collection command device having a collection information storage unit that stores collection information that associates collection information, which is information indicating a collection destination from which the unmanned transport robot should collect the luggage that should be placed in a luggage storage area at the index position indicated by the index information, index information, which is information indicating the index of the index-type luggage storage area where the collected luggage should be placed, and unmanned transport robot identification information, which is information that identifies the unmanned transport robot that should collect the luggage, and a collection information transmission unit that transmits collection information including the index information stored in the collection information storage unit and the collection destination information associated with it to the unmanned transport robot identified by the unmanned transport robot identification information associated with it, and the unmanned transport robot has a collection information receiving unit that receives the collection information and a patrol collection control unit that controls the operation of the unmanned transport robot to patrol multiple locations based on the received collection information.
As a result, the unmanned transport robot travels to multiple baggage collection locations based on collection commands from the collection command device, collects the baggage, and returns to the baggage storage area. Each collected baggage is stored in a storage location specified by an index. Since the unmanned transport robot collects baggage from multiple locations in one trip, it can be operated much more efficiently than if it only collected one item in one trip.

<Embodiment 9: Configuration of Each Part: Collection Command Device>
FIG. 18A is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a collection command device 1800. The collection command device has a collection information storage unit 1810 and a collection information transmission unit 1820, and transmits collection information 1805 as a collection command to an unmanned transport robot based on information acquired from delivery information 1801. The delivery information includes at least collection destination information 1803 regarding the collection destination and index information 1802 indicating the storage location, and generates collection information. This collection information includes multiple collection destinations, listed in order of collection. The index generation unit 1830 determines an appropriate luggage storage location from the delivery information and returns a corresponding index. For example, a conceivable method is to determine an index based on the destination of the delivery information, so that the index is grouped by the luggage collection center to which the destination belongs. The unmanned robot management unit 1840 monitors the status of all unmanned transport robots assigned to the luggage storage facility, selects the most appropriate unmanned transport robot, and returns an identification number. The conditions for determining whether something is optimal include, for example, whether it is not being transported and whether there are any problems with the energy supply state, but this is not limiting and any other factors for determination may be used.

<Recovery information storage unit>
The collection information storage unit acquires and stores collection destination information including at least the customer ID of the collection destination, and an index of the luggage storage location via the index generation unit. Furthermore, it acquires information on the unmanned transport robot used for collection from the unmanned transport robot management unit and associates it with the collection destination information.

Here, we will explain an example of the configuration of information related to package collection. Figure 16 is a data flow diagram showing the order database 1601 and the flow of data in each section. The order database is composed of at least an order ID, an orderer ID (collection destination), a delivery destination ID, and the product type. An order ID is assigned to each package, and in Figure 16, the parts indicated by 101 to 103 correspond. The fact that an order ID is assigned to each package means that the package can be identified by the order ID. The orderer ID is a unique number assigned to each customer. In the example shown, a four-digit number is shown. For example, the top digit (1 in 1020) is a number corresponding to the package collection center, the second digit (0 in 1020) is a number corresponding to the package storage facility, and the last two digits (20 in 1020) are a unique number for customers within the area corresponding to the package storage facility. This makes it easy to identify the package collection center and package storage facility responsible for the orderer or delivery destination. Next, to obtain delivery information, we simply obtain at least the order ID and delivery destination ID from the order database. In the example of Figure 16, product type information is included, but other information such as package size and weight may also be included. Furthermore, the delivery information is separated by package collection center identified from the destination ID, and then the corresponding delivery information 1621, 1622, and 1623 is sent. In this way, the necessary information is picked up from the order database, and the destination package delivery center is identified, so the package and delivery information can be sent in correspondence. In the example of Figure 16, order ID 101 is sent to package collection center 5, and order ID 102 is sent to package collection center 7. Order ID 103 does not move between package collection centers, so it is sent directly to the delivery process.

In the example shown in Figure 16, collection information 1610 consists of an order ID, collection destination customer ID, index information, and unmanned transport robot identification information. For example, collection information stores that a package with order ID 101 will be collected from the collection destination with customer ID 1020 to the storage location with index B5 using unmanned transport robot No. 001. This also means that a package with order ID 102 will be transported simultaneously to the same collection destination by unmanned transport robot No. 001. Order IDs 103 and 104 have different collection destinations, but will be collected by robot No. 003. The above is just one example, and various cases can be imagined.

<Recovery Information Transmission Unit>
The collection information transmission unit acquires the customer ID and index of the collection destination and transmits the collection information as a collection command to the associated unmanned transport robot using the unmanned transport robot identification information 1804. In FIG. 16 , collection information 1610 is replaced with collection commands 1611 and 1612, but the customer ID has been replaced with collection destination information. The collection destination information is location information derived from GPS, with a20 being latitude and b20 being longitude. This replacement can be made based on the customer database described in FIG. 11 . The collection command is generated by listing this collection destination information and the index of the luggage storage location, sorting them in collection order, and transmitting the list to the unmanned transport robot. In the example of FIG. 16 , collection information for order IDs 101 and 102 is transmitted to unmanned transport robot No. 001, and collection information for order IDs 103 and 104 is transmitted to unmanned transport robot No. 003.

<Embodiment 9: Configuration of Each Part: Unmanned Transport Robot>
FIG. 19A is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the unmanned transport robot 1304. The unmanned transport robot has at least a collection information receiving unit 1901, a patrol collection control unit 1902, a driving control unit 1903, and a movement mechanism 1904. The collection information receiving unit acquires collection information from a collection command device, which associates the collection destination of the luggage with the storage location of the collected luggage. The patrol collection control unit controls the route to the next collection destination or luggage storage facility based on the collection information. The driving control unit performs automatic driving control so that the unmanned transport robot moves along the route specified by the patrol collection control unit. The movement mechanism moves the unmanned transport robot under the control of the driving control unit. The movement mechanism is a mechanism for moving the unmanned transport robot. For example, in the case of a drone, the movement mechanism includes a propeller and a motor, and in the case of a car, the movement mechanism includes a power source such as an engine or motor and wheels. The driving control unit controls the movement mechanism to move in the desired direction. It also includes obstacle avoidance and safety control in the event of a problem.

<Recovery Information Receiving Unit>
The collection information receiving unit is a communication means, such as a wireless communication device, that receives collection information from the collection command device via wireless communication. The received information is a list of location information of the collection destination and an index of the storage location, as shown in the collection command shown in FIG. 16 . When using a mobile communication system, such as that used by a mobile phone, information can be received over a wide area. Therefore, collection information can be obtained and updated even while the baggage is being transported. In this case, the collection command device keeps track of the location of the unmanned transport robot. If a request for baggage collection occurs near the unmanned transport robot's operating location, the collection information can be updated and the unmanned transport robot can immediately collect the baggage if there is space to collect the baggage. Wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) can also be used, but due to the limited communication range, for example, if collection information is obtained at a baggage storage facility and the user heads out to collect the baggage, the collection information cannot be updated until the user returns to the baggage storage facility. This type of operation method is not limited to wireless communication, and collection information can also be obtained by contacting the collection information receiving unit.

<Travel collection control unit>
The mobile collection control unit controls the route to the next collection destination according to the list of collection destinations included in the collection information acquired by the collection information receiving unit. In the example of FIG. 16 , in the case of unmanned transport robot No. 003, it first moves toward (a53, b53), the collection destination for order ID 103, to collect the package, and then moves toward (a61, b61), the collection destination for order ID 104, to collect the package. In this case, if the unmanned transport robot is an aerial vehicle such as a drone, it determines a flight direction and instructs the driving control unit to fly in that direction. In the case of an autonomous vehicle, it uses a navigation system to determine the route to the next collection destination, and controls the driving control unit to move the robot according to the determined route. The above describes a case where the collection route is determined by the collection command device, but this is not limited to this. The collection order may also be changed within the mobile collection control unit.
Ninth Embodiment Hardware Configuration
The hardware configuration of the logistics system in this embodiment will be described below, with the same parts as those in the previous embodiment omitted.

The collection command device has a "collection information storage program" and a "collection command transmission program," and the unmanned transport robot has a "collection information reception program" and a "patrol collection control program." Each program is recorded in non-volatile memory shown in the basic computer configuration in Figure 23, loaded into main memory as appropriate, and read and executed by the CPU.

<Embodiment 9: Description of Components, Operation Method, and Program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but it is also within the scope of the present invention to realize this as an operating method or program. In addition to the features of the eighth embodiment, the ninth embodiment further includes a collection command device having a collection information holding step for holding collection information that associates collection information, which indicates a collection destination for an unmanned transport robot to collect a package to be placed in a package storage area at the index position indicated by the index information, index information, which indicates the index of the index-type package storage area where the collected package should be placed, and unmanned transport robot identification information, which identifies the unmanned transport robot that should collect the package, and a collection command sending step for sending the collection information, including the index information held in the collection information holding step and the associated collection destination information, to an unmanned transport robot identified by the associated unmanned transport robot identification information. The unmanned transport robot also includes a collection information receiving step for receiving the collection information and a patrol collection control step for controlling its operation to patrol multiple locations based on the received collection information. The content of each step is the same as that of the structure described above.

<Summary of embodiment 10 and claim 16>
In addition to the above features of the ninth embodiment, the tenth embodiment is a logistics system in which the collection information transmitting unit includes collection information-with-patrol-method-information transmitting means for transmitting collection information to the unmanned transport robot, the collection information including patrol method information, which is information indicating the method of visiting the collection destinations indicated by the collection information. By adding the patrol method information to the collection information and transmitting it to the unmanned transport robot in this way, the unmanned transport robot can achieve efficient collection by visiting the collection destinations as instructed. This eliminates the need for the unmanned transport robot to be equipped with a particularly sophisticated computer system, which is expected to reduce costs.

<Configuration of Each Part of Embodiment 10: Means for Transmitting Collection Information with Touring Method Information>
18B is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the collection command device of this embodiment, in which a collection information with patrol method information transmitting means 1821 is added to the collection information transmitting unit of embodiment 9. The collection information with patrol method information transmitting means rearranges and transmits collection information from multiple collection destination information contained in the collection information so that the optimal patrol collection can be performed. The unmanned transport robot reads the received collection information from the beginning and visits the collection destinations in the order read.
There are various possible methods for optimal circular collection. For example, it is possible to make the farthest collection point the first collection point. This is because, in the case of a drone, flying while empty consumes less energy, so energy consumption can be minimized by first flying to the farthest collection point and then returning to the luggage storage while collecting the luggage. Furthermore, energy can be further reduced by taking altitude into consideration. In other words, collecting from the highest altitude reduces energy consumption because there is no need to ascend while carrying the luggage. Taking all of the above into consideration, it is possible to select the route that consumes the least energy.

Figure 20 shows an example of the logistics system and route of the present invention, in which a baggage collection center 2010, baggage storage facility 1 2021, baggage storage facility 2 2022, and baggage storage facility 3 2023 are connected in a ring shape, and transport vehicle 2041 is operated to return to the baggage collection center after visiting each baggage storage facility. With this configuration, the collection cycle to the baggage storage facilities may be longer, but the number of transport vehicles can be kept low. Furthermore, each baggage storage facility is patrolled for collection by unmanned transport robots 2051, 2052-1, 2052-2, and 2053 based on the baggage collection route. Furthermore, when displaying the collection destination, "Completed" means that collection has been completed, and "Not yet" means that collection has not yet been completed. For example, the patrol route of unmanned transport robot 2051 was reconsidered due to strong winds, and the route was reconfigured to collect from the collection destination upwind. This is because when the unmanned transport robot is an aerial vehicle such as a drone, it is susceptible to the effects of wind when holding a load, so collecting the load from an upwind collection point will result in a tailwind while holding the load, reducing energy consumption. Additionally, the patrol route for unmanned transport robot 2052-2 involves collection in mountainous areas, with large differences in elevation between collection points. For this reason, it first goes to the highest collection point to collect the load, and then continues to collect the load by descending. This minimizes the amount of time spent climbing while holding the load, reducing energy consumption. As mentioned above, it is desirable to determine the collection route taking into consideration various conditions at the location, such as the weather conditions, topography, and traffic conditions, and is not limited to the method of determination described above.

<Embodiment 10: Hardware Configuration>
The hardware configuration of the logistics system in this embodiment will be described below, with the same parts as those in the previous embodiment omitted.
The collection command program of the collection command device includes a collection information transmission subprogram with patrol method information. The collection command program and collection information transmission subprogram are recorded in the nonvolatile memory shown in the basic hardware configuration of the computer in Figure 23, and are loaded into the main memory as appropriate, read out, and executed by the CPU.

<Embodiment 10: Description of Components, Operation Method, and Program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention also includes cases where this is realized as an operating method or program. In addition to the features of the ninth embodiment, the tenth embodiment is based on the ninth embodiment, and in addition thereto, the method and program for operating a logistics system includes a substep for transmitting collection information with patrol method information, in which the collection command transmission step transmits collection information to an unmanned transport robot, the collection information including patrol method information, which is information indicating the method of patrolling the collection destinations indicated by the collection information contained therein. The content of each step is the same as that of the structure described above.

<Outline of Embodiment 11, mainly related to claim 17>
In addition to the above features based on the ninth embodiment, the eleventh embodiment is a logistics system characterized in that the patrol collection control unit is an unmanned transport robot further having patrol method information generation means for generating patrol method information that is information indicating a method of patrolling a plurality of locations based on the received collection information. This allows the unmanned transport robot to change its patrol collection route depending on the situation during collection, thereby performing patrol collection while reducing collection time and energy consumption.

<Embodiment 11: Configuration of Each Unit: Touring Method Information Generating Means>
FIG. 19B is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the unmanned transport robot of this embodiment. The unmanned transport robot of embodiment 9 includes a patrol method information generation unit 1905. The main function of the patrol method information generation unit is to determine the order in which to visit collection destinations to collect multiple packages. The patrol method information generation unit generates an optimal collection route by rearranging the list of collection destinations obtained from the collection command transmission device to minimize collection time and energy consumption. For example, if the unmanned transport robot is a drone, the optimal patrol collection route is affected by wind direction. A headwind consumes a lot of energy and reduces speed, while a tailwind reduces energy consumption and increases speed. Furthermore, the optimal patrol collection route is even more affected when the robot is holding a package. Therefore, for example, by first visiting collection destinations upwind and then patrolling downwind, both time and energy consumption are optimized. Furthermore, if the unmanned transport robot is an autonomous vehicle, the patrol collection route can be determined based on congestion information on the route to the collection destination to avoid congestion. As described above, by having the unmanned transport robot determine the patrol collection route, it becomes possible to determine and change the route according to the situation to the collection destination. This makes it possible to optimally collect packages without being affected by changes in the situation.
<Embodiment 11: Hardware Configuration>
The hardware configuration of the logistics system in this embodiment will be described below, with the same parts as those in the previous embodiment omitted.
The patrol and collection control program for the unmanned transport robot includes a patrol method information generation subprogram. The patrol and collection control program and the patrol method information generation subprogram are recorded in the nonvolatile memory shown in the basic hardware configuration of the computer in Fig. 23, loaded into the main memory as appropriate, and read and executed by the CPU.

<Embodiment 11: Operation method and program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but it is also within the scope of the present invention to realize this as an operating method or program. In addition to the features of embodiment 9, embodiment 11 is a method and program for operating a logistics system, in which the patrol collection control step further includes a patrol method information generation substep that generates patrol method information, which is information indicating a method of patrolling multiple locations, based on the received collection information. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Outline of Embodiment 12, mainly related to claim 18>
In addition to the features of the seventh to eleventh embodiments as a basic configuration, the twelfth embodiment is a logistics system in which the unmanned transport robot further includes an energy storage unit for a power source and an energy supply receiving unit that receives an external energy supply to the energy storage unit, and the luggage storage facility further includes an energy supply device that supplies energy to the energy supply receiving unit of the unmanned transport robot. As a result, the unmanned transport robot receives an energy supply from the luggage storage facility and can continuously collect luggage. Note that, as with the sixth embodiment, the configuration shown in FIG. 12 is desirable for this embodiment.

<Embodiment 12: Configuration of Each Part, Unmanned Transport Robot, Energy Storage Unit>
The energy is generally electricity, and the energy storage unit corresponds to a battery or the like. In FIG. 12 , this corresponds to a battery pack 1201 that stores power. The energy is not limited to electricity, and gaseous or liquid fuels such as hydrogen or gasoline may also be used. In such cases, the energy storage unit has a tank-like configuration.

<Embodiment 12: Configuration of each part: Unmanned transport robot: Energy supply receiving part>
The energy supply receiving unit is preferably configured to receive power. In the case of contactless charging, this corresponds to a receiver that receives electromagnetic waves, and in FIG. 12, this corresponds to receiver 1202. Contact charging is also possible, in which case the power supply terminals should be configured to come into contact when the unmanned transport robot is grounded. Another possible method is to replace the battery pack as is, or in the case of fuel such as hydrogen, to replace the tank as is. In this case, the energy supply receiving unit corresponds to a mechanism that receives the battery pack or tank.

<Embodiment 12: Configuration of Each Part, Luggage Storage, Energy Supply Device>
The energy supply device starts supplying power when the unmanned transport robot is grounded or stored in a predetermined position. In the example of FIG. 12, this corresponds to the power transmission unit 1211, which starts outputting electromagnetic waves when the drone is grounded. The energy supply device is not limited to electricity, and may also use liquid or gaseous fuels such as hydrogen or gasoline. In this case, it must have a mechanism that allows supply without human intervention. For example, it may be configured with a supply nozzle that connects to a supply port, which is the energy supply receiver, when the drone is grounded.
<Embodiment 12: Operation method and program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but it is also within the scope of the present invention to realize this as an operating method or program. Embodiment 12 is a method for operating a logistics system based on Embodiments 7 to 11, in which the unmanned transport robot further includes an energy storage step for storing energy in a power source and an energy supply receiving step for receiving energy from an external source to the energy storage unit, and the luggage storage facility further includes an energy supply step for supplying energy to the unmanned transport robot during the energy supply receiving step. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Outline of Embodiment 13, mainly related to claim 24>
In a thirteenth embodiment, a logistics system network is provided in which one or more of the logistics systems described in the first to sixth embodiments and one or more of the logistics systems described in the seventh to twelfth embodiments are network-connected, and the logistics system network further includes an inter-collection-center parcel carrier that transports parcels between parcel collection centers, a transportation information storage unit that stores transportation information associated with the parcel, the transportation information including identification information of the parcel collection center that controls the parcel's destination, and the inter-collection-center parcel carrier is configured to send the parcel to the parcel collection center to which the destination belongs using the transportation information stored in the transportation information storage unit. In this logistics system network, the entire process from collection to delivery of parcels is carried out in an integrated manner, and individual collection and delivery are efficiently performed by unmanned transport robots.

Figure 14 is a conceptual diagram showing the concept of the logistics network system in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 14, each luggage collection center 1410, 1420, and 1430 is connected by an inter-collection center luggage carrier 1401 to form a logistics network system. Then, luggage to be sent to another collection center is transported to the destination luggage collection center by an inter-collection center luggage carrier. Each luggage collection center has a logistics network such as that shown in Figures 5 and 20. Therefore, luggage transported to a luggage collection center is delivered to the destination in accordance with the logistics system described in embodiments 1 to 6. Even in cases where transportation does not involve crossing luggage collection centers, once luggage is collected at a luggage collection center, it is similarly delivered to the destination in accordance with the logistics system described in embodiments 1 to 6. This allows for consistent and efficient processing from luggage collection to delivery to the destination.

Connections between luggage collection centers can be configured in a ring or star configuration, but either configuration is acceptable. For example, a ring configuration can be implemented at low cost because the number of luggage transporters between collection centers is minimal. A star configuration allows for direct transport to the desired luggage collection center, thereby reducing time. For example, luggage collection centers with a large number of customers (delivery and collection destinations) can be connected in a star configuration, while luggage collection centers with fewer customers can be connected in a ring configuration.

<Embodiment 13: Description of each component: Inter-collection center cargo transporter>
The inter-collection-center luggage carrier may have a configuration similar to that of the transport vehicle shown in FIG. 6 , for example. However, it is preferable that the loading locations for luggage be separate for each luggage collection center and configured to allow for flexible loading and unloading. This is because, when traveling to luggage collection centers along a predetermined route, upon arriving at a corresponding luggage collection center, all luggage destined for that luggage collection center is unloaded and luggage destined for multiple luggage collection centers is loaded. Efficient operation is possible if the luggage can be appropriately loaded at the loading location corresponding to the luggage collection center where it is destined. Furthermore, loading can be performed automatically using a robotic arm as shown in FIG. 6 or manually, but automatic loading reduces the risk of errors. While the inter-collection-center luggage carrier has been described above as being configured as a vehicle, it can also be configured as an air transport vehicle such as a helicopter. Because the luggage between luggage collection centers is large and the distance between them is long, a configuration appropriate for this is preferable. Furthermore, because the route is fixed, unmanned transport would enable even more efficient operation.

<Embodiment 13: Description of Components: Transportation Information Transmitting Device>
17 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a delivery information transmission device 1700. The delivery information transmission device has a delivery information storage unit 1710. The delivery information storage unit acquires delivery destination information 1704 indicating at least the customer information of the delivery destination from an order database 1701 and stores it as delivery information 1702. Here, package identification information 1703 for identifying packages is also stored.
Since it is common for each baggage collection center to have a transportation information transmission device, it is generally configured within the baggage collection center, but it may also be consolidated in one location as a data center. In this case, a transportation information storage unit is required in number corresponding to each baggage collection center, and it is preferable that each transportation information storage unit and baggage collection center are connected by a communication network. The same applies to the transportation information transmission unit.

<Transportation information storage unit>
The delivery information storage unit acquires at least parcel identification information and delivery destination information from the delivery information. The delivery information is ID-coded information that includes at least the order number, the orderer who is the collection destination, the customer information of the delivery destination, the parcel item, etc. In addition, information such as the size, weight, and specified delivery date of the parcel may be associated and recorded with this information. This information may be entered by the orderer, but may also be added automatically or manually at a parcel storage facility or parcel collection center. In this case, the parcel identification number corresponds to the order number, and the delivery destination information corresponds to the customer ID number in the customer information of the delivery destination.

An example of the data flow up to the point where collected parcels are sent to the parcel collection center to which the destination belongs will be described using FIG. 16 . Order data from customers is collected in an order database 1601. The order database 1601 associates order data with the order ID corresponding to the parcel collected and collected at the parcel collection center, and then acquires the destination ID and product type to generate transportation information 1620. The order ID and product type are not required. At the very least, it is sufficient to clearly identify the correspondence between the parcel and the destination. Here, the order ID is used as the parcel's identification ID, so it is associated with the order ID. The destination ID is a four-digit number, and the top digit (left side) indicates the parcel collection center's identification number. Therefore, it is divided into transportation information 1621, 1622, and 1623 for each parcel collection center. Based on this information, the inter-collection center parcel carrier loads the parcel at the corresponding loading position, transports it, and unloads it at the corresponding parcel collection center. Parcels delivered to the parcel collection center are delivered to their destinations by the logistics systems described in embodiments 1 to 6 based on the corresponding transportation information.
This will enable efficient operations from package collection to delivery, even in large-scale logistics system networks with multiple package collection centers.

<Embodiment 13: Operation method and program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but it is also within the scope of the present invention to realize this as an operation method or program. Embodiment 13 is a method or program for operating a logistics system network in which one or more of the logistics systems described in embodiments 7 to 12 and one or more of the logistics systems described in embodiments 7 to 11 are connected via a network, and further includes an inter-collection-center baggage carrier that transports baggage between baggage collection centers, and includes a transport information retention step for associating the baggage with the baggage and retaining transport information including at least identification information of the baggage collection center that controls the baggage destination, and an inter-collection-center baggage transport step for using the transport information retained in the transport information retention step to send the inter-collection-center baggage carrier to the baggage collection center that controls the destination. The content of each step is the same as that of each structure described above.

<Outline of Embodiment 14>
In addition to the logistics system network of embodiment 13, embodiment 14 further includes a delivery/collection information management server that manages delivery/collection information, and the luggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot are in an environment where they cannot directly communicate with the delivery/collection information management server, and the luggage storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot include a delivery/collection schedule storage unit that stores delivery/collection information for an area under its jurisdiction as a schedule, a vehicle-directed output unit that outputs to the transport vehicle, based on the delivery/collection schedule, vehicle delivery/collection information including at least the maximum number of packages that can be received as delivery packages when the transport vehicle comes to the luggage storage facility next time onwards, a vehicle-derived acquisition unit that acquires from the transport vehicle storage facility delivery/collection information including at least information on delivery packages that are to be added this time for the area under the jurisdiction of the luggage storage facility, and a storage facility delivery/collection information acquired from the transport vehicle, and a delivery/collection schedule acquisition unit that acquires a delivery/collection schedule from the delivery/collection information management server, and the transport vehicle has a transport vehicle server communication unit for communicating with the delivery/collection information management server, a delivery/collection information server-derived acquisition unit that acquires delivery/collection information from the delivery/collection information management server, a storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition unit that acquires storage facility delivery/collection information based on the acquired delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information storage unit that stores the acquired storage facility delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information output unit that outputs the stored storage facility delivery/collection information to the storage facility, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information acquisition unit that acquires transport vehicle delivery/collection information from the storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information storage unit that stores the acquired transport vehicle delivery/collection information, and a transport vehicle delivery/collection information output unit that outputs the acquired transport vehicle delivery/collection information to the delivery/collection information management server. Therefore, it is highly likely that the communication infrastructure is not in place, and it is assumed that the luggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot may not have a communication means that allows constant communication with the server that manages delivery and collection information, etc. In this embodiment, a logistics system network is provided that can be operated even in such a case, and information related to delivery and collection is exchanged via the transport vehicle.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of this embodiment, in which a delivery/collection information management server 2110, a transport vehicle 2140, and a baggage storage facility 2120 cooperate to exchange information.
The transport vehicle has a delivery/collection information server-derived acquisition unit 2141, a storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition unit 2142, a storage facility delivery/collection information holding unit 2143, a storage facility delivery/collection information output unit 2144, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information output unit 2145, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information holding unit 2146, and a transport vehicle delivery/collection information acquisition unit 2147.
The baggage storage facility also has a vehicle-derived acquisition unit 2121 , a delivery/collection schedule acquisition unit 2122 , a delivery/collection schedule storage unit 2123 , and a vehicle-directed output unit 2124 .

<Embodiment 14: Description of Components: Delivery and Collection Information Management Server>
The delivery and collection information management server is a server that manages the order database shown in FIG. 16. When a customer places an order for package collection, an order ID is issued and collection and delivery-related information is managed in a centralized manner. It is assumed that a single delivery and collection management server will be centrally managed, but it is also possible to have one at each package collection center and have them exchange related delivery and collection information with each other for decentralized management. If this server could constantly communicate with all package storage locations and unmanned transport robots, each unit would directly access the delivery and collection information from the delivery and hierarchical management server and perform delivery and collection based on that delivery and collection information. However, in this embodiment, the package storage locations and unmanned transport robots cannot directly communicate with this server.

<Embodiment 14: Description of Each Component: Luggage Transporter>
As described in the previous embodiments, the transport vehicle not only performs the functions of delivering and transporting collected luggage between the luggage collection center and the luggage storage facility, but also mediates the exchange of delivery and collection information. At the same time as unloading the collected luggage at the luggage collection center and loading the luggage to be delivered, the transport vehicle accesses the delivery and collection information management server to obtain delivery and collection information. The obtained delivery and collection information is retained, and the transport vehicle transports the luggage to the luggage storage facility, unloads the delivery luggage, and loads the collected luggage. At the same time, the delivery and collection information is passed to the luggage storage facility, and at the same time, the transport vehicle obtains delivery and collection information from the luggage storage facility. The obtained delivery and collection information is passed to the delivery and collection information management server when the transport vehicle returns to the luggage collection center, and is also used in planning the next transport.

<Embodiment 14: Description of Components: Transport Vehicle, Delivery/Collection Information Server-Derived Acquisition Unit>
The delivery/collection information server-derived acquisition unit acquires delivery/collection information from the delivery/collection information management server. The information acquisition method is preferably wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). A communication method using a communication standard or a communication method based on proprietary specifications may also be used. When the delivery vehicle approaches the parcel collection center and communication becomes possible, delivery/collection information is acquired from the delivery/collection information management server. The delivery/collection information is information related to delivery and collection, including at least the order ID, the delivery destination customer ID, and the collection destination customer ID. Specifically, the information acquired is information related to parcels delivered and collected at the parcel storage facility that the delivery vehicle patrols, and includes at least the delivery destination of the parcel to be delivered and the collection destination of the parcel for which collection has been requested.

<Embodiment 14: Description of each component: Transport vehicle; Storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition unit>
The storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition unit selects and acquires information corresponding to the baggage storage facilities to be visited from the delivery/collection information acquired by the delivery/collection information server-derived acquisition unit, grouping them by baggage storage facility. The delivery/collection information is sorted in order of order ID. For this reason, it is desirable that the delivery/collection information be grouped by baggage storage facility, so that only delivery/collection information related to the visited baggage storage facility is passed on. Therefore, the storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition unit rearranges the delivery/collection information grouped by baggage storage facility.

<Embodiment 14: Description of Components: Transport Vehicle, Storage Facility Delivery/Collection Information Storage Unit>
The storage facility delivery and collection information storage unit stores the storage facility delivery and collection information acquired by the storage facility delivery and collection information storage unit. This may be a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or flash memory, or a volatile temporary storage device such as RAM. It is sufficient that the vehicle delivery and collection information is stored until the vehicle returns to the luggage collection center. Furthermore, it is desirable that the information be stored in separate storage areas for each luggage storage facility. This allows data to be stored and retrieved with a simple structure, as information is acquired from the storage area corresponding to the luggage storage facility visited.

<Embodiment 14: Description of each component: Transport vehicle; Storage facility delivery/collection information output unit>
When the storage facility delivery and collection information output unit approaches the luggage storage facility and enters a communication area, it communicates with the luggage storage facility or the unmanned transport robot using its wireless communication function to output storage facility delivery and collection information. Specifically, this is list data of the destinations of the delivery packages brought by the transport vehicle on this transport and the collection locations of the packages to be collected. The wireless communication function may use the same communication method as the delivery and collection information server-derived acquisition unit.

<Embodiment 14: Description of Components: Transport Vehicle, Transport Vehicle Delivery/Collection Information Acquisition Unit>
The vehicle delivery and collection information acquisition unit acquires vehicle delivery and collection information from the luggage storage facility. The vehicle delivery and collection information is information that includes at least the number of luggage items that can be delivered next time. The number of luggage items that can be delivered next time is related to the delivery and collection schedule, and will be explained in detail later. In addition, the information may include whether delivery has been completed or the status of luggage that has been instructed to be collected. The vehicle delivery and collection information acquisition unit, like the other acquisition units, is preferably wirelessly connected, and may be integrated with the storage facility delivery and collection information output unit.

<Embodiment 14: Description of Components: Transport Vehicle, Transport Vehicle Delivery/Collection Information Storage Unit>
The vehicle delivery and collection information holding unit may be configured integrally with the same storage function as the storage facility delivery and collection information holding unit.
It is desirable to have separate storage areas for each luggage storage facility, and it is sufficient that the vehicle delivery and collection information is retained until the vehicle returns to the luggage collection center.

<Embodiment 14: Description of each component: Transport vehicle; Transport vehicle delivery/collection information output>
When a transport vehicle enters the communication range of the baggage collection center, the transport vehicle delivery and collection information output unit transmits the transport vehicle delivery and collection information acquired and stored from the baggage storage to the delivery and collection information management server. Like the other acquisition units, the transport vehicle delivery and collection information output unit preferably communicates wirelessly, and may be integrated with the delivery and collection information server origination unit.

<Embodiment 14: Description of each component: Luggage storage>
In addition to the functions of the embodiments described above, the luggage storage facility has a communication function for communicating with the transport vehicle to acquire delivery and collection information. It also plans a delivery and collection schedule based on the acquired delivery and collection information. It has a function for transmitting vehicle delivery and collection information to the transport vehicle, including the number of parcels that can be delivered the next time the transport vehicle arrives, based on the planned delivery and collection schedule. When the transport vehicle enters the luggage storage facility communication area, it acquires the storage facility delivery and collection information, generates a delivery and collection schedule, and then responds with the vehicle delivery and collection information to the transport vehicle.

<Embodiment 14: Description of each component: Luggage storage facility, transport vehicle-origin acquisition unit>
The vehicle-derived acquisition unit acquires storage facility delivery and collection information from the vehicle. Communication for acquiring the information is preferably, but not limited to, wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). A unique wireless communication specification or an optical communication method may also be used. Furthermore, wireless communication is not required as long as the communication connector can be connected without manual intervention.

<Embodiment 14: Description of Components: Luggage Storage Delivery/Collection Schedule Acquisition Unit>
The delivery and collection schedule acquisition unit generates a collection and delivery schedule based on the storage facility delivery and collection information. This collection and delivery schedule is generated when the transport vehicle arrives at the luggage storage facility and communication is established. The delivery and collection schedule is a plan that determines which unmanned transport robot will deliver the luggage to be delivered and when, and which unmanned transport robot will collect the luggage to be collected from the collection destination. The details of this plan will be explained in detail later.

<Embodiment 14: Description of Components: Luggage Storage, Delivery and Collection Schedule Storage Unit>
The delivery and collection schedule storage unit stores the delivery and collection schedule in a device with a storage function. The device with a storage function may be, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or flash memory, or a volatile memory such as RAM. The schedule must be stored at least until the next delivery vehicle arrives. This embodiment is intended for operation in a location where the communication environment is not well established, and therefore, the power supply may not be stable. Therefore, in a system where backup power supply is not taken into consideration, it is desirable to store the schedule in a non-volatile memory.

<Embodiment 14: Description of each component: Luggage storage facility, output unit for transport vehicle>
The vehicle-directed output unit generates vehicle delivery and collection information from the delivery and collection schedule and transmits it to the vehicle. Information communication is preferably performed wirelessly, and may be configured integrally with the vehicle-derived acquisition unit. The vehicle delivery and collection information includes at least the number of parcels that the vehicle may bring next. This concept will be explained in detail later in conjunction with the delivery and collection schedule.
<Embodiment 14 Delivery and Collection Schedule>

The delivery and collection schedule will now be explained in detail. A consistent aspect of the logistics system of the present invention is that it is necessary for there to be an empty space in the luggage storage facility when luggage is collected, and for there to be an empty space in the luggage storage facility when the delivery vehicle brings the delivery luggage to the luggage storage facility so that all of the delivered luggage can be placed there. If there is no empty space in the luggage storage facility, the logistics system will not function. Therefore, it is important to create a delivery and collection schedule so that cases like the above do not occur where there is no empty space in the luggage storage facility. For this reason, when the unmanned transport robot goes to collect luggage, it must first confirm that there is an empty luggage space when it returns. A rule that the delivery vehicle must follow is that it loads any luggage to be collected at the luggage storage facility, and not take more delivery luggage than the number of empty luggage spaces available at that time. If the communication environment is in place and both the luggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot can always communicate with the delivery and collection information management server, the delivery and collection schedule can be planned on the delivery and collection information management server to prevent the above-mentioned situation from occurring, and the transport vehicle can carry the specified number of parcels according to that plan, while the unmanned transport robot can deliver and collect at the planned times. However, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the luggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot will be unable to communicate with the delivery and collection information management server, so mechanisms and procedures are required to accommodate this.

FIG. 22 is a schedule showing an example of a delivery and collection schedule.
T01 to T21 are unit times that indicate the passage of time. A unit time is the smallest unit of time that is determined according to the system, such as 10 minutes or 1 hour.
Delivery indicates the occurrence of a delivery event. This means that a package to be delivered has arrived at a package collection center and has been registered as a delivery package. For example, this could be when a delivery package arrives from another package collection center, or when a collection package arrives from a package storage facility within the same package collection center and is delivered to a destination in the same package collection center's area. In the example shown in the figure, delivery events have occurred, with two packages at T03 and two at T07.
Collection is when a collection request is received from a customer at the luggage storage facility. In the example shown in the figure, delivery requests are made for one item at T04 and one at T06.
The number of collected parcels loaded onto the transport vehicle when the transport vehicle arrived at the parcel storage facility and the number of parcels for delivery left at the index parcel storage area are shown. In the example shown in the figure, a transport vehicle arrived at T01, loaded two collected parcels, and left three parcels for delivery, and at T11, loaded three collected parcels and left four parcels for delivery.
The unmanned transport robot indicates the status of the unmanned transport robot in the luggage storage area. There are four statuses: collecting, delivering, charging, and waiting.
The index luggage storage area shows the status of the index luggage storage area. If a delivery luggage is placed there, the luggage storage area will be occupied until an unmanned transport robot takes it for delivery. If a collected luggage is placed there, the luggage storage area will be occupied until a transport vehicle arrives and loads the collected luggage.
The "Ha" (number) indicates the status of delivered luggage, and the "Tai" (number) indicates the status of collected luggage, whether it is placed in a luggage storage area, delivered by an unmanned transport robot, or collected.

Figure 22 will be explained over time, assuming that the luggage storage facility has two unmanned transport robots and four index luggage storage areas, and that delivery vehicles make rounds every 10 units of time to collect all luggage that has been left there. Each delivery or collection requires charging and takes one unit of time to complete. Delivery and collection times vary depending on the delivery destination and number of items, but the approximate times can be determined from the distances to the delivery and collection destinations at the delivery/collection schedule stage.

(T01) A transport vehicle arrives, loads two collection packages, and leaves three delivery packages. At this time, unmanned transport robot 1 is collecting packages, and unmanned transport robot 2 departs for delivery with delivery packages with indexes A1 and A2.
(T02) The unmanned transport robot 1 finishes collection and places collected baggage 1 at A1 and collected baggage 2 at B1.
(T03) The unmanned transport robot 1 starts charging. Two packages are delivered.
(T04) The unmanned transport robot 1 finishes charging and starts delivering the package with index B2. There is a request to collect one package.
(T05) The unmanned transport robot 2 finishes delivery and begins charging.
(T06) The unmanned transport robot 2 finishes charging and departs to collect the baggage 3. There is a request to collect one baggage.
(T07) The unmanned transport robot 1 finishes delivery and begins charging. Two packages are left to be delivered.
(T08) The unmanned transport robot 2 finishes collection and places the collected baggage 3 at index B1. There is a request to collect one baggage.
(T09) The unmanned transport robot 2 starts charging.
(T11) A transport vehicle arrives, loads three collected packages, and places four delivery packages in the index luggage storage area. Furthermore, the destinations for the three collected packages and the delivery destinations for the four delivery packages are received from the transport vehicle as storage facility delivery and collection information. The delivery packages are packages generated in T03 and T07, and the collection requests are packages for which collection requests were made in T04, T06, and T08. Since both unmanned transport robots are on standby, unmanned transport robot 1 begins delivering delivery package 4 for A1, and unmanned transport robot 2 begins delivering delivery package 5 for A2. At this stage, the luggage transport facility plans a delivery and collection schedule. Delivery of all packages will not be completed by the time the next transport vehicle arrives in T21, and delivery package 7, placed at index B2, will remain. Therefore, the luggage storage facility notifies the transport vehicle that it may bring up to three delivery packages the next time the transport vehicle arrives.
(T12) The unmanned transport robot 1 completes the delivery. One package is delivered.
(T13) The unmanned transport robot 1 starts charging.
(T14) The unmanned transport robot 1 finishes charging and departs to collect the baggage 4. The unmanned transport robot 2 completes delivery.
(T15) The unmanned transport robot 2 starts charging. Two packages are delivered.
(T16) The unmanned transport robot 1 finishes collecting the collected baggage 4 and places the baggage at index A1. The unmanned transport robot 2 finishes charging and departs to collect the collected baggage 5.
(T17) The unmanned transport robot 1 starts charging. The unmanned transport robot 2 finishes collecting the collected baggage 5 and places the baggage at index A2. There is a request to collect one baggage.
(T18) The unmanned transport robot 1 departs to retrieve the baggage 6. Charging of the unmanned transport robot 2 begins.
(T19) The unmanned transport robot 2 departs to deliver the delivery package 6, and the index B1 becomes vacant. The unmanned transport robot 1 finishes collecting the collection package 6 and places the package in the vacant index B1.
(T20) The unmanned transport robot 1 starts charging.
(T21) The transport vehicle loads the parcels with indexes A1, A2, and B1, and places delivery parcels 9 and 10 in the vacant space. Here, a total of four parcels are delivered: one at T12, two at T15, and one at T18. However, the transport vehicle only delivered three parcels to the parcel storage facility, so no problem occurred. This is because the parcel storage facility had notified the transport vehicle at T11 that it could only accept three parcels next time.

As described above, by planning delivery and collection schedules at the luggage storage facility and responding in advance with the number of packages that can be accepted, an efficient logistics system can be realized without problems such as a lack of luggage storage space, even in environments where the luggage storage facility cannot communicate with the luggage collection center or delivery and collection information management server. Furthermore, as long as the delivery and collection schedule planning at the luggage storage facility is done up to the next time the delivery vehicle makes its rounds, the logistics system can function even if no plans for before or after that are kept.

<Embodiment 14: Hardware Configuration>
The hardware configuration of the logistics system in this embodiment will be described below, with the same parts as those in the previous embodiment omitted.
The baggage storage facility or the unmanned transport robot has a "delivery/collection schedule storage program," a "transport vehicle-directed output program," a "transport vehicle-derived acquisition program," and a "delivery/collection schedule acquisition program," and the transport vehicle has a "delivery/collection server-derived acquisition program," a "storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition program," a "storage facility delivery/collection information storage program," a "storage facility delivery/collection information output program," a "transport vehicle delivery/collection information acquisition program," a "transport vehicle delivery/collection information storage program," and a "transport vehicle delivery/collection information output program." Each program is recorded in nonvolatile memory shown in the basic hardware configuration of the computer in Figure 23, loaded into main memory as appropriate, and read and executed by the CPU.

<Embodiment 14: Operation method and program>
The above is the structure of the present invention, but the case where this is realized as an operating method or program is also within the scope of the present invention. In addition to the features of the operating method or program for the logistics system network described in the thirteenth embodiment, a logistics system network further includes a delivery/collection information management server that manages delivery/collection information, and the luggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot are in an environment where they cannot directly communicate with the delivery/collection information management server, and the luggage storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot have a delivery/collection schedule step of holding delivery/collection information for an area under their jurisdiction as a schedule, a vehicle-directed output step of outputting to the transport vehicle, based on the delivery/collection schedule, information for delivery/collection that includes at least the maximum number of packages that the transport vehicle can receive as delivery packages when it comes to the luggage storage facility from the next time onwards, and a vehicle-derived acquisition step of acquiring from the transport vehicle storage delivery/collection information that includes information for at least delivery packages that are to be added this time for the area under the jurisdiction of the luggage storage facility.
a delivery/collection schedule acquisition step for acquiring a delivery/collection schedule based on storage facility delivery/collection information acquired from the transport vehicle, wherein the transport vehicle has a transport vehicle server communication unit for communicating with a delivery/collection information management server, a delivery/collection information server-derived acquisition step for acquiring delivery/collection information from the delivery/collection information management server, a storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition step for acquiring storage facility delivery/collection information based on the acquired delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information retention step for retaining the acquired storage facility delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information output step for outputting the retained storage facility delivery/collection information to the storage facility, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information acquisition step for acquiring transport vehicle delivery/collection information from the storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information retention step for retaining the acquired transport vehicle delivery/collection information, and a transport vehicle delivery/collection information output step for outputting the acquired transport vehicle delivery/collection information to the delivery/collection information management server. The content of each step is the same as that described above for each structure.

0110, 0510, 1301, 1410, 1420, 1430, 2010, 2120 Baggage collection center 0120, 0521, 0522, 0523, 0524, 1302, 2021, 2022, 2023 Baggage storage facility 0130 Delivery destination 0140, 0541, 1305, 2041, 2140 Transport vehicle 0150, 0551, 0552, 0554, 1304, 2051, 2052-1, 0252-2, 2053 Unmanned transport robot 0210 Index baggage storage area 0300 Delivery command device 0301 Delivery information 0302, 1802 Index information 0303 Delivery destination information 0304, 1804 Unmanned transport robot identification information 0311 Delivery information storage unit 0312 Delivery command transmission unit 0321 Delivery information reception unit 0322 Travel delivery control unit 0401 Energy 0411 Energy supply device 0421 Energy supply reception unit 0422 Energy storage unit 0423 Power source 0611 Robot arm 0612, 0702, 0806, 0903, 1503 Baggage 0701, 0904, 1002, 1200, 1504 Drone 0800 Self-driving vehicle 0801 Camera 0802 GPS sensor 0803 Open/close shutter 0804 Belt conveyor 0805 Caterpillar 0901 Delivery destination 0902 Storage box 1001 Index-type baggage storage area 1101, 1601, 1701 Order database 1102 Customer database 1103 Delivery data 1104 Customer delivery data 1201 Battery pack 1202, receiver 1210, storage location 1211, power transmission units 1303, 1501, collection destination 1401, inter-collection center carrier 1502, baggage collection location
1610 Collection information 1611, 1612 Collection command 1700 Transportation information transmission device 1702, 1801 Transportation information 1703 Baggage identification information 1704 Delivery destination information 1710 Transportation information storage unit 1800 Collection command device 1803 Collection destination information 1805 Collection information 1810 Collection information storage unit 1820 Collection information transmission unit 1821 Collection information with patrol method information transmission means 1830 Index generation unit 1840 Unmanned transport robot management unit 1901 Collection information reception unit 1902 Patrol collection control unit 1903 Operation control unit 1904 Moving mechanism 1905 Patrol method information generation means 2110 Delivery and collection information management server 2121 Transport vehicle origin acquisition unit 2122 Delivery and collection schedule acquisition unit 2123 Delivery and collection schedule storage unit 2124 Transport vehicle direction output unit 2141 Delivery and collection information server-derived acquisition unit 2142, storage facility delivery and collection information acquisition unit 2143, storage facility delivery and collection information holding unit 2144, storage facility delivery and collection information output unit 2145, truck delivery and collection information output unit 2146, truck delivery and collection information holding unit 2147, truck delivery and collection information acquisition unit 2310, CPU
2320 Main memory 2303 Boot program 2304 Bridge 2305 Non-volatile memory 2306 External interface

Claims (2)

"A logistics system having a luggage collection center managed by a full-time person for collecting luggage with specified destinations, a transport vehicle that loads luggage from the luggage collection center and transports N or more luggage at a time, a luggage storage facility as an intermediate luggage storage facility not managed by a full-time person for storing the N luggage from the transport vehicle that has arrived from the luggage collection center, and an unmanned transport robot that uses the luggage storage facility as a base, is capable of loading luggage from the luggage storage facility and transporting M (N > M ≥ 2) luggage at a time, travels to multiple destinations, and places the luggage on the base and delivers it to the specified destination."
"A logistics system using unmanned transport robots, comprising: an unmanned transport robot that uses a baggage storage facility as its base and loads baggage from a baggage collection location to the baggage storage facility and transports it to the baggage storage facility, the unmanned transport robot being capable of transporting M pieces of baggage at a time (N > M ≥ 2) and patrolling multiple collection locations to pick up and collect baggage from designated collection locations; a baggage storage facility capable of storing N pieces of baggage for handing over the collected baggage to a transport vehicle for transport to a baggage collection center, the baggage storage facility acting as an intermediate baggage storage facility not under the full-time management of a storage person for handing over the baggage collected from the unmanned transport robot to the transport vehicle; a transport vehicle that transports N or more pieces of baggage at a time from the baggage storage facility for loading and transporting to the baggage collection center; and a baggage collection center under full-time management that has the function of collecting the baggage carried by the transport vehicle."
a distribution system network in which a plurality of such units are connected to one another through a network, further comprising an inter-collection center baggage carrier for transporting baggage between baggage collection centers, a transport information storage unit for storing transport information associated with the baggage, the transport information including identification information of the baggage collection center that controls the destination of the baggage, and a transport information storage unit configured to use the transport information stored in the transport information storage unit to send the baggage to the baggage collection center to which the destination belongs,
The baggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot are in a logistics system network in an environment where direct communication with the delivery and collection information management server is not possible, and the baggage storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot include a delivery and collection schedule storage unit that stores delivery and collection information in a region under its jurisdiction as a schedule, a vehicle-directed output unit that outputs to the vehicle, based on the delivery and collection schedule, vehicle delivery and collection information including at least the maximum number of packages that can be received as delivery packages when the vehicle comes to the baggage storage facility next time onwards, a vehicle-derived acquisition unit that acquires from the vehicle storage facility delivery and collection information including at least information on delivery packages to be added this time in the region under the jurisdiction of the baggage storage facility, and an acquisition unit that acquires the delivery and collection schedule based on the storage facility delivery and collection information acquired from the vehicle. a delivery/collection schedule acquisition unit that acquires delivery/collection information from the delivery/collection information management server, and the transport vehicle has a transport vehicle server communication unit for communicating with the delivery/collection information management server, a delivery/collection information server-derived acquisition unit that acquires delivery/collection information from the delivery/collection information management server, a storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition unit that acquires storage facility delivery/collection information based on the acquired delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information holding unit that holds the acquired storage facility delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information output unit that outputs the held storage facility delivery/collection information to the storage facility, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information acquisition unit that acquires transport vehicle delivery/collection information from the storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot, a transport vehicle delivery/collection information holding unit that holds the acquired transport vehicle delivery/collection information, and a transport vehicle delivery/collection information output unit that outputs the acquired transport vehicle delivery/collection information to the delivery/collection information management server. "A method for operating a logistics system including: a luggage collection step of collecting luggage with specified destinations at a luggage collection center managed by a full-time person; a transport step of loading the luggage from the luggage collection center and transporting N or more luggage at a time by a transport vehicle; a luggage storage step of storing the N luggage from the transport vehicle arriving from the luggage collection center at a luggage storage facility serving as an intermediate luggage storage facility not managed by a full-time person; and a luggage delivery step of using the luggage storage facility as a base, loading the luggage from the luggage storage facility and transporting M (N>M≧2) luggage at a time, and using an unmanned transport robot to travel to multiple destinations, place the luggage at the specified destination, and deliver the luggage to the specified destination."; and
"A method for operating a logistics system using an unmanned transport robot, comprising: a luggage collection step in which an unmanned transport robot, which uses a luggage storage facility as a base, loads luggage from a luggage collection destination at the luggage storage facility and transports it to the luggage storage facility, can transport M (N > M ≥ 2) luggage at a time, patrols a plurality of collection destinations and picks up and collects the luggage from the designated collection destinations; a luggage storage step in which an unmanned transport robot stores N luggage at a luggage storage facility that serves as an intermediate luggage storage facility not under the full-time management of a storage person, for handing over the collected luggage to a transport vehicle for transport to a luggage collection center, the luggage storage facility being capable of storing N luggage so that the collected luggage can be handed over to a transport vehicle for transport to a luggage collection center; a transport step in which N or more luggage are transported at a time by the transport vehicle from the luggage storage facility to be loaded and transported to the luggage collection center; and a luggage collection step in which the luggage transported by the transport vehicle is collected at a luggage collection location that is under full-time management of a person and has the function of collecting the luggage."
a distribution system network in which a plurality of distribution systems operated by the above method are connected to one another through a network, and further comprising an inter-collection-center baggage carrier for transporting baggage between baggage collection centers, and a method for operating a distribution system network, the method comprising a transport information holding step for holding transport information associated with the baggage, the transport information including at least identification information of a baggage collection center that controls the destination of the baggage, and an inter-collection-center baggage transport step for using the transport information held in the transport information holding step to send the baggage to a baggage collection center that controls the destination of the baggage,
The system further includes a delivery/collection information management server for managing delivery/collection information, and the baggage storage facility and the unmanned transport robot are in a logistics system network in an environment where direct communication with the delivery/collection information management server is not possible, and the baggage storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot have a delivery/collection schedule step for holding delivery/collection information in an area under their jurisdiction as a schedule, a vehicle-directed output step for outputting to the transport vehicle, based on the delivery/collection schedule, vehicle delivery/collection information including at least the maximum number of packages that can be received as delivery packages when the transport vehicle comes to the baggage storage facility next time onwards, a vehicle-derived acquisition step for acquiring from the transport vehicle storage facility delivery/collection information including at least information on delivery packages to be added this time in the area under the jurisdiction of the baggage storage facility, and a delivery/collection schedule acquisition step for acquiring a delivery/collection schedule based on the storage facility delivery/collection information acquired from the transport vehicle. a delivery/collection information server-derived acquisition step for acquiring delivery/collection information from the delivery/collection information management server, a storage facility delivery/collection information acquisition step for acquiring storage facility delivery/collection information based on the acquired delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information retention step for retaining the acquired storage facility delivery/collection information, a storage facility delivery/collection information output step for outputting the retained storage facility delivery/collection information to the storage facility, a vehicle delivery/collection information acquisition step for acquiring vehicle delivery/collection information from the storage facility and/or the unmanned transport robot, a vehicle delivery/collection information retention step for retaining the acquired vehicle delivery/collection information, and a vehicle delivery/collection information output step for outputting the acquired vehicle delivery/collection information to the delivery/collection information management server.