Collection/delivery navigation system

• US 6,335,702 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1998
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Itoh, Masakazu, Miyatake, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/056,644
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 701/201, 701/202, 701/209
• US Class Current: 342/357.48
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service

Abstract

A collection/delivery work support system which can eliminate erroneous delivery of goods, missing delivery and missing collection in collection/delivery service to greatly improve the efficiency of collection of goods. A collection/delivery navigation system for determining and indicating a route for delivery and collection of goods and managing collection and delivery conditions has an electronic slip which stores information described in a slip of a commodity and has a function of transmitting the stored information in response to an external request for information, and a navigation unit for indicating a route for collection and delivery of goods and collection and delivery conditions. The navigation unit has a reader for reading the information stored in the electronic slip, a delivery information table for storing delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions, a collection information table for storing collection information inclusive of a collection destination and collection conditions, a collection/delivery route generation unit for generating a route for collection and delivery by using the delivery information and the collection information, and an indication device for indicating the collection/delivery route, the delivery information and the collection information.

Claims

1. A collection/delivery navigation system for determining and indicating a route for delivery and collection of goods and managing collection/delivery conditions, comprising:

an electronic slip which stores information of a commodity and has a function of transmitting the stored information in response to an external request for information;

a navigation unit for indicating a route for collection and delivery of the commodity and collection and delivery conditions, said navigation unit including;

a reader for reading information stored in said electronic slip;

a delivery information table for storing delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions;

a collection information table for storing collection information inclusive of a collection destination and collection conditions; and

collection/delivery route generation means for generating information concerning a route, through which the collection and delivery is carried out, by using said delivery information and said collection information; and

address conversion means for converting address information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude, wherein said address conversion means converts address information in said delivery information and collection information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude, and said collection/delivery route generation means generates a route for collection and delivery by using said position information in terms of longitude and latitude.

2. A collection/delivery navigation system for determining and indicating a route for delivery and collection of goods and managing collection/delivery conditions, comprising:

an electronic slip which stores information of a commodity and has a function of transmitting the stored information in response to an external request for information;

a navigation unit for indicating a route for collection and delivery of the commodity and collection and delivery conditions, said navigation unit including;

a reader for reading information stored in said electronic slip;

a delivery information table for storing delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions;

a collection information table for storing collection information inclusive of a collection destination and collection conditions; and

collection/delivery route generation means for generating information concerning a route, through which

the collection and delivery is carried out, by using said delivery information and said collection information; and

an absence information table for storing information concerning the absence of a delivery/collection destination due to recipient'"'"'s absence, wherein completion of delivery is decided based on the information concerning the absence of delivery/collection destination stored in said absence information table, the delivery conditions stored in said delivery information table and the collection conditions stored in said collection information table.

3. A collection/delivery navigation system for determining and indicating a route for delivery and collection of goods and managing collection/delivery conditions, comprising:

an electronic slip which stores information of a commodity and has a function of transmitting the stored information in response to an external request for information;

a navigation unit for indicating a route for collection and delivery of the commodity and collection and delivery conditions, said navigation unit including;

a reader for reading information stored in said electronic slip;

a delivery information table for storing delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions;

a collection information table for storing collection information inclusive of a collection destination and collection conditions; and

collection/delivery route generation means for generating information concerning a route, through which the collection and delivery is carried out, by using said delivery information and said collection information;

a receiver for receiving external collection information; and

resetting means for resetting the route for collection and delivery by using the collection information received by said receiver, the delivery information stored in said delivery information table and the collection information stored in said collection information table.

4. A navigation method for supporting a goods delivery and collection service in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit, provided in a distribution vehicle, for indicating a goods collection/delivery route and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, comprising the steps of:

writing information of a commodity to be collected and delivered into an electronic slip, and attaching said electronic slip to said commodity;

reading the slip information written in said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

storing, on the basis of said read slip information, delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit;

converting address information in said delivery information and collection information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude; and

determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of collection destination information received externally, and by using said position information in terms of longitude and latitude, to updately generate information pieces concerning the determined route.

5. A navigation method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of indicating said determined collection/delivery route, said delivery information and said collection information in a desired format of picture display or voice indication.

6. A navigation method according to claim 4, wherein said collection destination information is obtained by externally receiving collection information from said collection/distribution center.

7. A navigation method according to claim 4, wherein memory information concerning the delivery conditions is updated in response to re-loading of the goods to said distribution vehicle due to the absence of the delivery destination.

8. A navigation method according to claim 4, wherein said determined collection/delivery route, said delivery information and said collection information are transmitted to said collection/distribution center to permit the collection/distribution center to provide a distributor with a work change instruction.

9. A navigation method according to claim 4, wherein said contactless reader automatically reads stored information from the electronic slip in response to loading and unloading of a commodity to be collected or delivered.

10. A recording medium readable by a computer and adapted to store a program which executes navigation for supporting delivery service and collection/delivery service of goods by using said computer in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit provided in a distribution vehicle and adapted to indicate a collection/delivery route for goods and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, said program comprising:

program means for writing information of a commodity to be collected/delivered into an electronic slip and attaching the electronic slip to the commodity;

program means for reading the slip information written into said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

program means for storing delivery information inclusive of delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit on the basis of said read-out slip information;

program means for converting address information in said delivery information and collection information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude; and

program means for determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of externally received collection destination information, and by using said position information in terms of longitude and latitude, and for updately generating information pieces concerning the determined route.

11. A recording medium according to claim 10, further comprising program means for indicating said determined collection/delivery route, said delivery information and said collection information in a desired format of picture display or voice indication.

12. A collection/delivery navigation system for determining and indicating a route for delivery and collection of goods and managing collection/delivery conditions, comprising:

an electronic slip which stores information of a commodity and has a function of transmitting the stored information in response to an external request for information;

a navigation unit for indicating a route for collection and delivery of the commodity and collection and delivery conditions, said navigation unit including;

a reader for reading information stored in said electronic slip;

a delivery information table for storing delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions;

a collection information table for storing collection information inclusive of a collection destination and collection conditions; and

collection/delivery route generation means for generating information concerning a route, through which the collection and delivery is carried out, by using said delivery information and said collection information;

address conversion means for converting address information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude, wherein said address conversion means converts address information in said delivery information and collection information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude, and said collection/delivery route generation means generates a route for collection and delivery by using said position information in terms of longitude and latitude;

an absence information table for storing information concerning the absence of delivery/collection destination due to recipient'"'"'s absence, wherein completion of delivery is decided based on the information concerning the absence of delivery/collection destination stored in said absence information table, the delivery conditions stored in said delivery information table and the collection conditions stored in said collection information table; and

a receiver for receiving external collection information and resetting means for resetting the route for collection and delivery by using the collection information received by said receiver, the delivery information stored in said delivery information table and the collection information stored in said collection information table.

13. A navigation method for supporting a goods delivery and collection service in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit, provided in a distribution vehicle, for indicating a goods collection/delivery route and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, comprising the steps of:

writing information of a commodity to be collected and delivered into an electronic slip, and attaching said electronic slip to said commodity;

reading the slip information written in said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

storing, on the basis of said read slip information, delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit;

determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of collection destination information received externally, to updately generate information pieces concerning the determined route; and

storing information concerning the absence of a delivery/collection destination due to recipient'"'"'s absence, wherein completion of delivery is decided based on the information concerning the stored absence of a delivery/collection destination, the stored delivery conditions, and the stored collection conditions.

14. A navigation method for supporting a goods delivery and collection service in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit, provided in a distribution vehicle, for indicating a goods collection/delivery route and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, comprising the steps of:

writing information of a commodity to be collected and delivered into an electronic slip, and attaching said electronic slip to said commodity;

reading the slip information written in said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

storing, on the basis of said read slip information, delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit;

determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of collection destination information received externally, to updately generate information pieces concerning the determined route;

receiving external collection information; and

resetting the route for collection and delivery by using the received collection information, the stored delivery information, and the stored collection information.

15. A navigation method for supporting a goods delivery and collection service in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit, provided in a distribution vehicle, for indicating a goods collection/delivery route and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, comprising the steps of:

writing information of a commodity to be collected and delivered into an electronic slip, and attaching said electronic slip to said commodity;

reading the slip information written in said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

storing, on the basis of said read slip information, delivery information inclusive of a delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit;

converting address information in said delivery information and collection information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude;

determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of collection destination information received externally, and by using said position information in terms of longitude and latitude, to updately generate information pieces concerning the determined route;

storing information concerning the absence of a delivery/collection destination due to recipient'"'"'s absence, wherein completion of delivery is decided based on the information concerning the stored absence of a delivery/collection destination, the stored delivery conditions, and the stored collection conditions;

receiving external collection information; and

resetting the route for collection and delivery by using the received collection information, the stored delivery information, and the stored collection information.

16. A recording medium readable by a computer and adapted to store a program which executes navigation for supporting delivery service and collection/delivery service of goods by using said computer in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit provided in a distribution vehicle and adapted to indicate a collection/delivery route for goods and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, said program comprising:

program means for writing information of a commodity to be collected/delivered into an electronic slip and attaching the electronic slip to the commodity;

program means for reading the slip information written into said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

program means for storing delivery information inclusive of delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit on the basis of said read-out slip information;

program means for determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of externally received collection destination information, and updately generating information pieces concerning the determined route; and

program means for storing information concerning the absence of a delivery/collection destination due to recipient'"'"'s absence, wherein completion of delivery is decided based on the stored information concerning the absence of delivery/collection destination, the stored delivery conditions, and the stored collection conditions.

17. A recording medium readable by a computer and adapted to store a program which executes navigation for supporting delivery service and collection/delivery service of goods by using said computer in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit provided in a distribution vehicle and adapted to indicate a collection/delivery route for goods and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, said program comprising:

program means for writing information of a commodity to be collected/delivered into an electronic slip and attaching the electronic slip to the commodity;

program means for reading the slip information written into said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

program means for storing delivery information inclusive of delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit on the basis of said read-out slip information;

program means for determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of externally received collection destination information, and updately generating information pieces concerning the determined route;

program means for receiving external collection information; and

program means for resetting the route for collection and delivery by using the received collection information, the stored delivery information, and the stored collection information.

18. A recording medium readable by a computer and adapted to store a program which executes navigation for supporting delivery service and collection/delivery service of goods by using said computer in a collection/delivery navigation system having a navigation unit provided in a distribution vehicle and adapted to indicate a collection/delivery route for goods and collection/delivery conditions, and a collection/distribution center, said program comprising:

program means for writing information of a commodity to be collected/delivered into an electronic slip and attaching the electronic slip to the commodity;

program means for reading the slip information written into said electronic slip by means of a contactless reader provided in said distribution vehicle;

program means for storing delivery information inclusive of delivery destination and delivery conditions and collection information inclusive of collection conditions in a memory of said navigation unit on the basis of said read-out slip information;

program means for converting address information in said delivery information and collection information into position information in terms of longitude and latitude;

program means for determining a route for collection and delivery on the basis of said delivery information stored in said memory and said collection information inclusive of externally received collection destination information, and by using said position information in terms of longitude and latitude, and updately generating information pieces concerning the determined route;

program means for storing information concerning the absence of a delivery/collection destination due to recipient'"'"'s absence, wherein completion of delivery is decided based on the stored information concerning the absence of delivery/collection destination, the stored delivery conditions, and the stored collection conditions; and

program means for resetting the route for collection and delivery by using the received collection information, the stored delivery information, and the stored collection information.