PRODUCT DELIVERY SYSTEM

• US 20110087612A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shibata, Daisuke, Kawada, Yohei, YUASA, NAOHIRO
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/332
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data

Abstract

A sensor device for detecting product quality conditions is attached to each product to be delivered, and constant monitoring is performed on quality conditions of stock products in a storage room of a delivery center for quality assurance. For products in a storage room of a delivery truck, constant monitoring is also performed on quality conditions thereof in the same manner. If a quality abnormality is found in a product in the storage room, information regarding product sensing items and information regarding the current location of each delivery truck are processed to select a replacement stock product less susceptible to recurrence of a similar quality abnormality at the time of redelivery.

Claims

1. A product delivery system for delivering products of various kinds each having at least one specified quality assurance range, the product delivery system comprising:

memory means for storing product information regarding a plurality of products having the same specified quality assurance range;

memory means for storing delivery vehicle information regarding characteristics of a plurality of delivery vehicles used for delivering products;

information receiving means for receiving, from each delivery vehicle, abnormality information regarding detection of a quality abnormality that is a condition exceeding the specified quality assurance range of each product placed in a storage environment, and product identification information for identifying each product;

product specifying means for specifying a product to be redelivered according to the stored product information regarding the plurality of products having the same specified quality assurance range;

delivery vehicle specifying means for proposing information regarding each delivery vehicle having characteristics capable of satisfying the specified quality assurance range of the specified product to be redelivered according to the stored delivery vehicle information regarding characteristics of the plurality of delivery vehicles used for delivering products;

delivery vehicle information extracting means for extracting information regarding each delivery vehicle that meets redelivery conditions required for the specified product to be redelivered according to the proposed information regarding each delivery vehicle having characteristics capable of satisfying the specified quality assurance range of the specified product to be redelivered; and

output means for outputting the extracted information regarding each delivery vehicle to indicate a candidate delivery vehicle for the specified product to be redelivered.

2. The product delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein the redelivery conditions include an indication of time and date of redelivery, a place of each delivery center, and a current location of each delivery vehicle, which are memorized along with the characteristics of the plurality of delivery vehicles.

3. The product delivery system according to claim 1, further comprising:

additional information extracting means for extracting information regarding a candidate delivery vehicle according to the kind of a detected quality abnormality for the specified product to be redelivered through selection based on the extracted information regarding each delivery vehicle.

4. The product delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the products includes packing material therefor.

5. The product delivery system according to claim 4,

wherein the product specifying means preferentially specifies a product less susceptible to a quality abnormality similar to a detected quality abnormality according to the stored product information.

6. The product delivery system according to claim 5, further comprising:

history information storing means for storing history information regarding quality abnormalities detected in the past with respect to each sensing item for abnormality detection in each product;

wherein the product specifying means specifies a product to be redelivered according to the stored history information.

7. The product delivery system according to claim 6,

wherein the history information storing means sorts the history information on the basis of each sensing item and stores the history information thus sorted.

15. The product delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein there are provided first selection processing for determining a product to be redelivered through selection from a plurality of kinds of quality abnormalities, and second selection processing for determining a delivery truck storage room having specifications that are within required quality assurance ranges;

and

wherein the first selection processing and the second selection processing are carried out in synchronous parallel operation while ensuring associative relationship therebetween.

16. The product delivery system according to claim 1,

wherein a shortest-time redelivery route to be taken by a candidate delivery vehicle is determined so as to circumvent a route where a location corresponding to a detected quality abnormality has been indicated.

8. A product delivery method for delivering products of various kinds each having at least one specified quality assurance range, the product delivery method comprising the steps of:

storing product information regarding a plurality of identical products having the same specified quality assurance range;

storing delivery vehicle information regarding characteristics of a plurality of delivery vehicles used for delivering products;

receiving, from each delivery vehicle, abnormality information regarding detection of a quality abnormality that is a condition exceeding the specified quality assurance range of each product placed in a storage environment, and product identification information for identifying each product;

specifying a product to be redelivered according to the stored product information regarding the plurality of products having the same specified quality assurance range;

proposing information regarding each delivery vehicle having characteristics capable of satisfying the specified quality assurance range of the specified product to be redelivered according to the stored delivery vehicle information regarding characteristics of the plurality of delivery vehicles used for delivering products;

extracting information regarding each delivery vehicle that meets redelivery conditions required for the specified product to be redelivered according to the proposed information regarding each delivery vehicle having characteristics capable of satisfying the specified quality assurance range of the specified product to be redelivered; and

outputting the extracted information regarding each delivery vehicle to indicate a candidate delivery vehicle for the specified product to be redelivered.

9. The product delivery method according to claim 8,

wherein the redelivery conditions include an indication of time and date of redelivery, a place of each delivery center, and a current location of each delivery vehicle, which are memorized along with the characteristics of the plurality of delivery vehicles.

10. The product delivery method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

extracting information regarding a candidate delivery vehicle according to the kind of a detected quality abnormality for the specified product to be redelivered through selection based on the extracted information regarding each delivery vehicle.

11. The product delivery method according to claim 8,

wherein each of the products includes packing material therefor.

12. The product delivery method according to claim 11,

wherein the step of specifying a product to be redelivered is so arranged that a product less susceptible to a quality abnormality similar to a detected quality abnormality is preferentially specified according to the stored product information.

13. The product delivery method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

storing history information regarding quality abnormalities detected in the past with respect to each sensing item for abnormality detection in each product;

wherein the step of specifying a product to be redelivered is so arranged as to specify a product to be redelivered according to the stored history information.

14. The product delivery method according to claim 13,

wherein the step of storing history information is so arranged that the history information is sorted on the basis of each sensing item and the history information thus sorted is stored.

17. The product delivery method according to claim 8,

wherein there are provided first selection processing for determining a product to be redelivered through selection from a plurality of kinds of quality abnormalities, and second selection processing for determining a delivery truck storage room having specifications that are within required quality assurance ranges;

and

wherein the first selection processing and the second selection processing are carried out in synchronous parallel operation while ensuring associative relationship therebetween.

18. The product delivery method according to claim 8,

wherein a shortest-time redelivery route to be taken by a candidate delivery vehicle is determined so as to circumvent a route where a location corresponding to a detected quality abnormality has been indicated.