IP Library Granted Patent US 11,568,359
Granted Patent B2
US 11,568,359 · App. 17/202,399 · Granted Jan 31, 2023

Management device, management method, and program

Inventors: Kensaku Yamamoto (Wako, JP); Yusuke Kawada (Wako, JP); Koichi Ogura (Tokyo, JP); Masahiro Motoyoshi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
G06Q10/087B60W60/001G06Q10/0833G06Q10/0836G06Q10/0837
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,568,359
App. No.
17/202,399
Granted
Jan 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a management device for managing an operation of a package delivery vehicle configured to travel autonomously on a road without accommodating a driver, and capable of storing a package into each of a plurality of storages each covered by an openable and closable door, the management device including: a storage device that stores a program; and a hardware processor, in which the hardware processor is configured to execute the program stored in the storage device to: receive application information on delivery of the package from a user; and determine an operation of the package delivery vehicle, in which the hardware processor is configured to cause the package delivery vehicle during delivery of a package to collect a new package.

Claims (37)

1. A management device for managing an operation of a package delivery vehicle configured to travel autonomously on a road without accommodating a driver, and capable of storing a package into each of a plurality of storages each covered by an openable and closable door, the openable and closable door of each of the plurality of storages being provided with an indicator configured to emit light so as to indicate a loading position of the package to be loaded or a position at which the package to be unloaded is stored, the management device comprising:

a storage device that stores a program; and

a hardware processor,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the program stored in the storage device to:

receive application information on delivery of the package from a user; and

determine an operation of the package delivery vehicle,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to cause the package delivery vehicle during delivery of a package to collect a new package,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to determine a schedule of the package delivery vehicle including a delivery plan and/or a collection plan of the package,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to determine an operation of the package delivery vehicle based on the schedule, and

wherein the hardware processor is configured to instruct, when the hardware processor has determined a schedule in which the delivery plan of the package and the collection plan of the package are mixed, a terminal device of a collection center to set a same number of storages as determined collection plans to be vacant and cause the package delivery vehicle to start.

2. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to instruct a driving part of the door to load the new package, which is to be collected, into a storage that has become vacant due to delivery by the package delivery vehicle during delivery of a package.

3. The management device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to assign collection plans of a package to the plurality of package delivery vehicles in accordance with a priority, and

wherein the hardware processor is configured to determine whether a storage has become vacant in order of the priority, and cause a package delivery vehicle for which the storage has become vacant to collect the package.

4. The management device according to claim 3 , wherein the schedule determiner is configured to refer to use history information of the user, and set a priority of a package delivery vehicle having a higher probability of absence of a user of a delivery destination to be lower than a priority of a package delivery vehicle having a lower probability of absence of a user of a delivery destination.

5. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to change, when a storage that is planned to load a package by the schedule has not become vacant due to absence of a user of a delivery destination of a stored package, the schedule such that an initially determined path is changed to cause the package delivery vehicle to move for delivery, and the package delivery vehicle to move to a loading location specified by the plan when any one of the plurality of storages has become vacant.

6. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to, when a package delivery vehicle is planned to load a new package into a storage that has become vacant after delivery of a package by the schedule, avoid adding a schedule for collection after the package delivery vehicle has started.

7. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to provide a terminal device of a user with path information on a movement path of the package delivery vehicle.

8. A management method to be executed by a management device for managing an operation of a package delivery vehicle configured to travel autonomously on a road without accommodating a driver, and capable of storing a package into each of a plurality of storages each covered by an openable and closable door, the openable and closable door of each of the plurality of storages being provided with an indicator configured to emit light so as to indicate a loading position of the package to be loaded or a position at which the package to be unloaded is stored, the management method comprising:

receiving application information on delivery of the package from a user;

determining an operation of the package delivery vehicle; and

causing the package delivery vehicle during delivery of a package to collect a new package,

wherein the management method further comprises determining a schedule of the package delivery vehicle including a delivery plan and/or a collection plan of the package,

wherein the management method further comprises determining an operation of the package delivery vehicle based on the schedule, and

wherein the management method further comprises instructing, when a schedule in which the delivery plan of the package and the collection plan of the package are mixed has been determined, a terminal device of a collection center to set a same number of storages as determined collection plans to be vacant and cause the package delivery vehicle to start.

9. A program for causing a computer of a management device for managing an operation of a package delivery vehicle configured to travel autonomously on a road without accommodating a driver, and capable of storing a package into each of a plurality of storages each covered by an openable and closable door, the openable and closable door of each of the plurality of storages being provided with an indicator configured to emit light so as to indicate a loading position of the package to be loaded or a position at which the package to be unloaded is stored, to:

receive application information on delivery of the package from a user;

determine an operation of the package delivery vehicle; and

cause the package delivery vehicle during delivery of a package to collect a new package,

wherein the program further causes the computer to determine a schedule of the package delivery vehicle including a delivery plan and/or a collection plan of the package,

wherein the program further causes the computer to determine an operation of the package delivery vehicle based on the schedule, and

wherein the program further causes the computer to instruct, when a schedule in which the delivery plan of the package and the collection plan of the package are mixed has been determined, a terminal device of a collection center to set a same number of storages as determined collection plans to be vacant and cause the package delivery vehicle to start.

10. A package delivery vehicle configured to travel autonomously on a road without accommodating a driver, and capable of storing a package into each of a plurality of storages each covered by an openable and closable door, the openable and closable door of each of the plurality of storages being provided with an indicator configured to emit light so as to indicate a loading position of the package to be loaded or a position at which the package to be unloaded is stored, the package delivery vehicle comprising: a storage device that stores a program; and a hardware processor,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the program stored in the storage device to: receive application information on delivery of the package from a user; and determine an operation of the package delivery vehicle, wherein the hardware processor is configured to cause the package delivery vehicle during delivery of a package to collect a new package,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to determine a schedule of the package delivery vehicle including a delivery plan and/or a collection plan of the package,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to determine an operation of the package delivery vehicle based on the schedule,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to instruct, when the hardware processor has determined a schedule in which the delivery plan of the package and the collection plan of the package are mixed, a terminal device of a collection center to set a same number of storages as determined collection plans to be vacant and cause the package delivery vehicle to start.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2021
From: YAMAMOTO, KENSAKU; KAWADA, YUSUKE; OGURA, KOICHI; MOTOYOSHI, MASAHIRO
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055599/0571 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2020-047105 · Mar 18, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210295246A1 · Sep 23, 2021