Delivery managing system

• US 6,085,170 A
• Filed: 11/21/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsukuda, Gunji
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US08/975,227
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 345/963, 345/961, 705/26, 705/27, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/147 the receptacle comprising heating or cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

A delivery managing system for managing delivery of goods from a distribution center through an agent to a receiver is disclosed. A client provides at least schedule information of the receiver. A distribution server provides at least delivery schedule information and manages delivery of the goods. An agent server manages the commission on the goods by the agent. A data transmission network interconnects the client, the agent server and the distribution server. A means for determining the date and time for delivery of the delivery goods is provided, as well as for deciding the agent to be used, between said client and said distribution server. Also, a means for notifying of arrival and/or departure of the goods to and/or from the agent to at least one of the distribution server and said client is disclosed.

Claims

1. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through an agent to a receiver;

a client for providing at least a schedule information of the receiver;

a distribution server for providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent;

a data transmission network, through which said client, said agent server and said distribution server are connected to one another;

means for determining date and time for delivery of the delivery goods and for deciding the agent to be used, between said client and said distribution server; and

means for notifying of arrival and departure of the delivery goods to and from the agent to at least one of said distribution server and said client.

2. A delivery managing system as defined in claim 1, there is further provided means for managing information on the arrival and departure of the delivery goods to and from the agent and detecting abnormality of the delivery goods in at least one of said distribution server and said client.

3. A delivery managing system as defined in claim 1, wherein there is further provided means for outputting an delivery goods information, in at least one of said distribution server and said client, said distribution server includes means for notifying the delivery goods information to said agent server, and said agent server includes means for reading out the delivery goods information from said outputting means, and means for comparing the delivery goods information noticed from said distribution server with the delivery goods information read out by said reading out means.

4. A delivery managing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said client further comprises:

means for compiling the schedule information;

means for notifying deletion of the schedule information for receiving the delivery goods to said distribution server related thereto, responding the deletion thereof; and

means for deleting the related schedule information responding to a notice of deletion of the delivery schedule information from said distribution server;

wherein said distribution server further comprises;

means for deleting the delivery schedule information of the delivery goods responding to the notice of deletion of the schedule information for receiving the delivery goods from said client.

5. A delivery managing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said distribution server further comprises:

means for compiling the delivery schedule information; and

means for notifying deletion of the delivery schedule information to all of said client relating the deletion thereof.

6. A delivery managing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said agent server further comprises:

a delivery locker having a plurality of boxes into which the delivery goods can be stored, each box thereof comprises at least means for observing thereof; and

means for deciding the arrival and departure of the delivery goods to and from said agent by using the observing means of said delivery locker.

7. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through an agent to a receiver, comprising:

a client for providing at least a schedule information of the receiver;

a distribution server for providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent;

a data transmission network, through which said client, said agent server and said distribution server are connected to one another;

means for determining date and time for delivery of the delivery goods and for deciding the agent to be used, among said client, said distribution server and said agent server; and

means for notifying of arrival and departure of the delivery goods to and from the agent to at least one of said distribution server and said client.

8. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center to a receiver, comprising:

a client for providing at least a schedule information of the receiver;

a distribution server for providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

a data transmission network, through which said client and said distribution server are connected to each other;

means for determining date and time for delivery of the delivery of goods between said client and said distribution server; and

means for deciding an agent to be used between said client and said distribution server on the basis of a purchased goods information relating to said goods for said agent.

9. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center to a receiver, comprising:

a client for providing at least a schedule information of the receiver;

a distribution server for providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

a data transmission network, through which said client and said distribution server are connected to each other; and

means for determining date and time for delivery of the delivery goods between said client and said distribution server.

10. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through an agent to a receiver, comprising:

a distribution server for providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent;

a data transmission network, through which said distribution server and said agent server are connected to each other; and

means for notifying of arrival and departure of the delivery goods to and from the agent, from said agent server to said distribution server or the receiver; and

means for managing information on the arrival and departure of the delivery goods to and from the agent and detecting abnormality of the delivery goods, in said distribution server.

11. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through an agent to a receiver, comprising:

a client for providing at least a schedule information of the receiver or an information of the agent to be used;

a distribution server for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent and having means for detecting arrival and departure of the delivery goods to and from the agent; and

a data transmission network, through which said client, said agent server and said distribution server are connected to one another;

wherein said distribution server comprises;

means for providing a delivery schedule information on delivery schedule and a delivery goods information on a content of the delivery goods and for notifying of a list of available delivery schedule information to said client on the basis of the delivery schedule information to said client on the basis of the delivery schedule information and the a delivery goods information;

means for setting date and time for delivery of the delivery goods or the agent to be used into the delivery schedule information responding to the schedule information and the information of the agent to be used which are notice from said client;

means for setting a condition of the arrival into the agent in the delivery goods information relating thereto, responding to a notice of the arrival of the delivery goods from said agent server;

means for setting a condition of the departure from the agent in the delivery goods information relating thereto, responding to a notice of the departure of the delivery goods from said agent server;

means for outputting the delivery goods information of the delivery goods to be delivered to the agent; and

means for detecting the delivery goods information of the delivery goods in abnormal condition;

said client further comprises;

means for providing a schedule information and a purchased goods information into which the contents of the delivery goods and a criteria for use of the agent are described;

means for deciding to use the agent or not, on the basis of the list of the available delivery schedule information and the schedule information and the criteria for use of the agent of the purchased goods information from said distribution server, and for notifying of the date and time for delivery or the agent to be used to said distribution server, and for setting a receipt schedule of the delivery goods into the schedule information if it is decided not to use the agent;

means for setting the condition of the arrival into the agent in the purchased goods information of the delivery goods, responding to a notice of the arrival thereof from the agent server;

means for setting the condition of the departure from the agent in the purchased goods information of the delivery goods, responding to a notice of the departure thereof from the agent server;

means for outputting the purchased goods information of the delivery goods to be delivered to the agent server; and

said agent server further comprises;

means for providing a commissioned goods information relating to the delivery goods which are transferred from the distribution center into the agent to be commissioned;

means for setting an information relating to the arrival of the delivery goods to be commissioned, into the commissioned goods information, and for notifying thereof to said distribution server and said client relating thereto, responding to input of the arrival of the delivery goods to be commissioned; and

means for setting an information relating to the departure of the delivery goods to be commissioned, into the commissioned goods information, and for notifying thereof to said distribution server and said client relating thereto, responding to input of the departure of the delivery goods to be commissioned.

12. A delivery managing system as described in claim 11, wherein said agent server further comprises:

a delivery locker for common use, which comprises a plurality boxes, and box open/close devices and box observation devices for each box thereof;

means for providing the commissioned goods information relating to the delivery goods transferred from the distribution center, and a locker information having at least a size of each box and an identification number of the delivery goods stored therein;

means, in response to input of the information relating to the arrival of the delivery goods to be commissioned, for searching a box satisfying a condition for storing the delivery goods to be commissioned,

means for instructing releasing of key to the open/close device of the box which is searched out;

means for instructing locking of the key of the open/close device when a door of the box is closed again;

means for setting the arrival information to the commissioned goods information;

means for setting an identification code of the delivery goods to be commissioned into the locker information relating to the box into which the delivery goods is stored; and

means for notifying of the arrival of the delivery goods to be commissioned to said distribution server and said client related thereto;

means, in response to input of the identification code of the delivery goods to be commissioned;

means for instructing releasing of the key to the box open/close device of the box which is coincident with the identification code;

means for instructing locking of the key to the box open/close device when the door of the box is closed again;

means for setting the departure of the delivery goods to be commissioned, into the locker information and the commissioned goods information; and

means for notifying of the arrival of the delivery goods to be commissioned to said distribution server and said agent server related thereto.

13. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through an agent to a receiver, comprising:

a client f or providing at least a requirement for receiving the delivery goods by the receiver;

a distribution server providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent; and

a data transmission network, through which said client, said agent server and said distribution server are connected to one another.

14. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through a agent to a receiver, comprising:

a client for providing at least a requirement for receiving the delivery goods by the receiver;

a distribution server providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent; and

a data transmission network, through which said client, said agent server and said distribution server are connected to one another, wherein a conveyable memory medium is used for communicating between said client and said agent server, on which an information relating to the delivery and the receipt on the delivery goods is outputted.

15. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through an agent to a receiver, comprising:

a client for providing at least an order for receiving the delivery goods by the receiver;

a distribution server providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent; and

a data transmission network, through which said client, said agent server and said distribution server are connected to one another, wherein said distribution server sends back an identification information corresponding to the order from said client to said client for certifying that an addressee of the delivery goods is to be said client when it is sent thereto, and outputs said identification number into a memory medium, which is attached onto said delivery goods.

16. A delivery managing system for managing delivery of a delivery goods from a distribution center through a agent to a receiver, comprising:

a client for providing at least an order for receiving the delivery goods by the receiver;

a distribution server providing at least a delivery schedule information and for managing delivery of the delivery goods;

an agent server for managing commission on the delivery goods by the agent; and

a data transmission network, through which said client, said agent server and said distribution server are connected to one another, wherein said distribution server sends back an identification information corresponding to the order from said client to said client as well as to said agent server depending on the order from said client or a shape of the delivery goods, and said agent server checks said identification information read from said client into a memory medium with the identification information from said distribution server when the goods is delivered.