Delivery box system and reserving method and charging method therefor

• US 7,075,451 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: X-Cube Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamada, Shoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US10/687,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/539.2, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/5.73
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

A delivery box system for delivering an article is providing, including a navigation device for sending and receiving reservation reguests and information, payment information, navigation execution ID information and position information of a particular related delivery box from a central computer of a central management center. The navigation device automatically calculates navigation information based on the navigation execution ID information, as well as guides the deliveryman from the present position thereof to the particular related delivery box based on the position information of the related delivery box received from the central computer.

Claims

1. A delivery box system for delivering an article comprising:

box position information storage means for storing position information of the positions where delivery boxes are installed;

delivery box position information output means for outputting position information of a particular delivery box to be used from the position information stored in the box position information storage means;

navigation means for measuring a present position of a moving body, displaying the present position of the moving body in map information corresponding to the present position of the moving body based on the measured position information as well as enabling the navigation means to guide the moving body from the present position thereof to the moving destination where the particular delivery box is installed based on the position information of the particular delivery box;

navigation execution ID information relating means for relating the position information of the particular delivery box output by the delivery box position information output means to navigation execution ID information for executing navigation by inputting moving destination information to the navigation means; and

navigation execution means for receiving the navigation execution ID information and the position information of the particular delivery box that are related to each other by the navigation execution ID information relating means, executing the navigation by the navigation means based on the navigation execution ID information as well as guiding the moving body from the present position thereof to the moving destination where the particular delivery box is installed by the navigation means based on the position information of the particular delivery box.

2. A delivery box system according to claim 1, comprising:

a mobile phone capable of transmitting ID information; and

unlocking control means for unlocking the delivery box by receiving the ID information transmitted from the mobile phone through a transmitting/receiving unit having a phone function and checking the ID information between the mobile phone and the transmitting/receiving unit.

3. A delivery box system according to claim 2, wherein the ID information is any one of phone number information of the mobile phone itself, ID number information, and voice print information or a combination of them.

4. A delivery box system according to claim 2, wherein the mobile phone can utilize the Internet and obtain at least one of installed position information of the delivery boxes, usage fee information based on a passed time, article reception/shipment information, and empty state information through the Internet.

5. A delivery box system according to claim 2, wherein the usage fee of the delivery box is charged to the phone number of the mobile phone.

6. A delivery box system according to claim 2, wherein unlocking of the delivery box is frozen by remote control to reserve the delivery box from the mobile phone.

7. A delivery box system according to claim 1, comprising:

empty state detection means for detecting an empty state of the delivery boxes;

first communication means for collecting empty state information detected by the empty state detection means and transmitting it to a central management center;

first storage means for storing the empty state information transmitted to the central management center at any time;

a server device for presenting the empty state information stored in the first storage means on a communication network such that it can be accessed;

reservation selection means for selecting a delivery box the reservation of which is desired based on the empty state information accessed on the communication network;

second storage means for storing reserved box ID information of the delivery box selected by the reservation selection means and reservation ID information, which is related to ID information such as the phone number and the like of the mobile phone of a box-reserving person that is inherent to a reserving action issued by the central management center when the reservation is accepted in a state that the reserved box ID number is related to the reservation ID information;

second communication means for transmitting and notifying the reserved box ID information and the reservation ID information to the box-reserving person;

input means for inputting the reserved box ID information of the delivery box and the reservation ID information; and

unlocking control means for checking the reserved box ID information and the reservation ID information input by the input means against the reserved box ID information and the reservation ID information stored in the second storage means and unlocking the delivery box when the former information coincides with the latter information.

8. A delivery box system according to claim 7, wherein the input means and/or the second to fourth communication means are any one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and ten keys and a touch panel disposed to the delivery box.

9. A delivery box system according to claim 8, wherein the mobile phone, the personal digital assistant, the personal computer, and the ten keys and the touch panel disposed to the delivery box can make use of the Internet and obtain at least one of installed position information of the delivery boxes, usage fee information based on a passed time, article article reception/shipment information, empty state information, article keeping request information, and article keeping acceptance information through the Internet.

10. A delivery box system according to claim 7, wherein the input means and/or the second to fourth communication means are the mobile phone, and the phone number of the mobile phone or the voice of a call therethrough also acts as authentication information when the delivery box is reserved or when the article is left or taken out or is used to charge the usage fee of the delivery box.

11. A delivery box system according to claim 1, comprising:

input means for inputting reservation ID information, which is related to ID information such as the phone number and the like of the mobile phone of a box-reserving person that is inherent to a reserving action issued by the central management center when the reservation of the delivery box or keeping of an article is accepted or for inputting article delivery conditions such as payment to the article, and the like which are related to reception ID information that is related to ID information such as the phone number and the like of the mobile phone inherent to the delivery action of the article executed making use of the delivery box;

storage means for storing the article delivery conditions and the fulfillment thereof;

third communication means for transmitting and notifying the reception ID information only to a payment agent when the article delivery conditions are accompanied with payment for the article;

payment means for making payment to the article;

fourth communication means for inquiring the fulfillment of payment by a separate payment method by transmitting the inquiry to the central management center; and

unlocking control means for unlocking the delivery box when the box ID information of the delivery box and the reception ID information coincide with those stored when the reservation or the keeping of the article is accepted after it is confirmed that the article delivery conditions are fulfilled.

12. A method of reserving a delivery box for delivering an article, comprising the steps of:

requesting an article-receiving person, who receives an article, to reserve a delivery box according to claim 1 by an article-leaving person who leaves the article; and

reserving the delivery box by the article-receiving person on behalf of the article-leaving person.

13. A method of charging the fee of a delivery box for delivering an article, comprising the steps of:

previously registering a box-reserving person who makes a reservation making use of the delivery box according to claim 1; and

charging the fee of the delivery box to the reservation-making person.

14. A method of charging the fee of a delivery box for delivering an article, comprising the step of:

charging an initial fee when the delivery box according to claim 1 is used to an article-leaving person who leaves an article.