IP Library Granted Patent US 11,620,607
Granted Patent B2
US 11,620,607 · App. 17/519,095 · Granted Apr 4, 2023

Delivery system, delivery method and program

Inventors: Takaaki Yanagihashi (Toyota, JP); Takahiro Okano (Chiryu, JP); Toru Takashima (Susono, JP); Hiroaki Kiyokami (Nisshin, JP); Kenta Miyahara (Okazaki, JP); Yohei Tanigawa (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G06Q10/0832B65G15/00B65G65/00G06Q10/08355
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,620,607
App. No.
17/519,095
Granted
Apr 4, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A delivery system includes a moving apparatus on which a parcel to be transferred to a predetermined region is loaded and that is capable of moving the parcel along a circulation route along which the moving apparatus circulates in the region. The delivery system acquires delivery information including position information about a delivery destination of the parcel, generates a delivery plan for delivering the parcel to the delivery destination, based on the acquired delivery information, and controls the moving apparatus such that the moving apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination on the circulation route based on the delivery plan and fulfills the transfer of the parcel when permission information indicating that the transfer of the parcel is permitted has been received.

Claims (27)

1. A delivery system comprising:

a belt conveyor apparatus in which a conveyance path is formed along a circulation route; and

a processor, wherein;

the belt conveyor apparatus is configured to have a parcel loaded and to be capable of moving the parcel along the circulation route, the parcel being transferred to a predetermined region, the circulation route being a route along which the belt conveyor apparatus circulates in the predetermined region,

the belt conveyor apparatus is provided underground, and

the processor is configured to:

be capable of acquiring delivery information including position information about a delivery destination of the parcel,

be capable of generating a delivery plan based on the acquired delivery information, the delivery plan being a plan for delivering the parcel to the delivery destination,

control the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination on the circulation route based on the delivery plan and fulfills the transfer of the parcel when permission information has been received, the permission information indicating that the transfer of the parcel is permitted, and

when the permission information has been received while the belt conveyor apparatus is moving the parcel to the delivery destination, control the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination, puts the parcel in an elevator apparatus underground of the delivery destination, and transfers the parcel to a home delivery box provided on an aboveground floor, using the elevator apparatus.

2. The delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to be capable of acquiring the delivery information by reading an identification code attached to the parcel.

3. The delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein when the permission information has not been received while the belt conveyor apparatus is moving the parcel to the delivery destination, the processor controls the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination and temporarily places the parcel at a temporary placement site provided at the delivery destination.

4. The delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein when the permission information has not been received while the belt conveyor apparatus is moving the parcel to the delivery destination, the processor controls the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel along a waiting route branching from the circulation route.

5. The delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

predict a congestion level of the circulation route at a predetermined hour based on the delivery information, and

be capable of generating the delivery plan so as to avoid the congestion level from being equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, based on the predicted congestion level.

6. The delivery system according to claim 1 , wherein the belt conveyor apparatus is constituted by an automatic driving vehicle capable of automatically traveling along the circulation route.

7. A delivery method for transferring a parcel to a delivery destination using a belt conveyor apparatus in which a conveyance path is formed along a circulation route, the belt conveyor apparatus being configured to have the parcel loaded and to be capable of moving the parcel along the circulation route, the parcel being transferred to a predetermined region, the circulation route being a route along which the belt conveyor apparatus moves in the predetermined region, wherein the belt conveyor apparatus is provided underground, the delivery method comprising:

acquiring delivery information including position information about the delivery destination of the parcel;

generating a delivery plan based on the acquired delivery information, the delivery plan being a plan for delivering the parcel to the delivery destination;

controlling the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination on the circulation route based on the delivery plan and fulfills the delivery of the parcel when permission information has been received, the permission information indicating that the transfer of the parcel is permitted; and

when the permission information has been received while the belt conveyor apparatus is moving the parcel to the delivery destination, controlling the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination, puts the parcel in an elevator apparatus underground of the delivery destination, and transfers the parcel to a home delivery box provided on an aboveground floor, using the elevator apparatus.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program that, upon execution by a processor, causes a computer to execute a process for transferring a parcel to a delivery destination using a belt conveyor apparatus in which a conveyance path is formed along a circulation route, the belt conveyor apparatus being configured to have the parcel loaded and to be capable of moving the parcel along the circulation route, the parcel being transferred to a predetermined region, the circulation route being a route along which the belt conveyor apparatus moves in the predetermined region, the process comprising:

acquiring delivery information including position information about the delivery destination of the parcel;

generating a delivery plan based on the acquired delivery information, the delivery plan being a plan for delivering the parcel to the delivery destination;

controlling the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination on the circulation route based on the delivery plan and fulfills the delivery of the parcel when permission information has been received, the permission information indicating that the transfer of the parcel is permitted; and

when the permission information has been received while the belt conveyor apparatus is moving the parcel to the delivery destination, controlling the belt conveyor apparatus such that the belt conveyor apparatus moves the parcel to the delivery destination, puts the parcel in an elevator apparatus underground of the delivery destination, and transfers the parcel to a home delivery box provided on an aboveground floor, using the elevator apparatus.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2021
From: YANAGIHASHI, TAKAAKI; OKANO, TAKAHIRO; TAKASHIMA, TORU; KIYOKAMI, HIROAKI; MIYAHARA, KENTA; TANIGAWA, YOHEI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 058022/0427 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2020-185809 · Nov 6, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220147918A1 · May 12, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,493,855