Information processing device, delivery system, and information processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12260367-B2
Application number	US-202318344802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2023
Priority date	Jul 5, 2022
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

The information processing device of the present disclosure is included in a delivery system that delivers a package delivered to an intermediate delivery point in a specific area to a final delivery destination in the specific area. The information processing device includes a control unit that determines a logistics robot that delivers a package from an intermediate delivery point to a final delivery destination, and performs a process of acquiring or generating authentication information for confirming authenticity of the logistics robot and that is used when the logistics robot receives a package from a vehicle that has delivered the package to an intermediate delivery point, and transmitting the authentication information to a vehicle-side system before the logistics robot receives the package.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing device included in a delivery system in which a package delivered to an intermediate delivery point in a specific area is further delivered to a final delivery destination in the specific area, the information processing device comprising a control unit configured to:
automatically determine a logistics robot that delivers the package from the intermediate delivery point to the final delivery destination;
automatically acquire or generate authentication information for automatically confirming authenticity of the logistics robot, the authentication information being automatically used when the logistics robot receives the package from a vehicle that delivers the package to the intermediate delivery point to automatically confirm the authenticity of the logistics robot, the authenticity of the logistics robot indicating that the logistics robot is a correct logistics robot determined for delivering the package;
automatically transmit the authentication information to a vehicle-side system of the vehicle before the logistics robot receives the package;
in response to the authenticity of the logistics robot being not confirmed, automatically receive warning information indicating that the vehicle is unable to confirm the authenticity of the logistics robot; and
in response to the warning information being received,
automatically transmit a signal to the logistics robot for stopping the logistics robot, and
automatically control the vehicle not to deliver the package to the logistics robot whose authenticity is not confirmed.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the authentication information is identification information assigned to the logistics robot.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to automatically transmit an instruction to change the identification information periodically or irregularly to the logistics robot.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to automatically control an operation of the logistics robot in the specific area.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the specific area includes any one of a housing complex, a residential area, an office building, a hospital, a factory, or a school.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to automatically determine the logistics robot that delivers the package in response to receipt of:
package identification information for identifying the package,
a scheduled time at which the vehicle delivers the package, and
information on the final delivery destination of the package.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to automatically transmit the package identification information to the logistics robot.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to automatically receive a receipt report of the package from the logistics robot in response to the logistics robot receiving the package at the intermediate delivery point.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured to automatically transmit a receipt notification to the vehicle-side system in response to the receipt report being received.

10. A delivery system in which a package delivered to an intermediate delivery point in a specific area is further delivered to a final delivery destination in the specific area, the delivery system comprising:
a vehicle configured to deliver the package to the intermediate delivery point;
a logistics robot; and
an information processing device,
wherein
the information processing device includes a control unit configured to:
automatically determine the logistics robot that delivers the package from the intermediate delivery point to the final delivery destination;
automatically acquire or generate authentication information for automatically confirming authenticity of the logistics robot, the authentication information being automatically used when the logistics robot receives the package from the vehicle that delivers the package to the intermediate delivery point to automatically confirm the authenticity of the logistics robot, the authenticity of the logistics robot indicating that the logistics robot is a correct logistics robot determined for delivering the package;
automatically transmit the authentication information to a vehicle-side system of the vehicle that delivers the package to the intermediate delivery point before the logistics robot receives the package;
in response to the authenticity of the logistics robot being not confirmed, automatically receive warning information indicating that the vehicle is unable to confirm the authenticity of the logistics robot; and
in response to the warning information being received,
automatically transmit a signal to the logistics robot for stopping the logistics robot, and
automatically control the vehicle not to deliver the package to the logistics robot whose authenticity is not confirmed.

11. The delivery system according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle-side system is configured to
automatically acquire the authentication information through communication with the logistics robot at the intermediate delivery point, and
automatically hand over the package to the logistics robot in response to the authenticity of the logistics robot being confirmed.

12. The delivery system according to claim 11 , wherein in response to the authenticity of the logistics robot being not confirmed, the vehicle-side system is configured to automatically transmit the warning information to the control unit of the information processing device directly or indirectly.

13. The delivery system according to claim 11 , wherein:
the vehicle includes a luggage compartment that stores the package; and
the luggage compartment is unlocked in response to the authenticity of the logistics robot being confirmed.

14. The delivery system according to claim 10 , wherein:
package identification information is allocated to the package; and
the vehicle-side system is configured to automatically hand over the package to the logistics robot in response to the package identification information allocated to the package being acquired from the logistics robot and the authenticity of the logistics robot being confirmed.

15. The delivery system according to claim 10 , wherein the logistics robot is configured to transmit further warning information to the control unit of the information processing device in response to a scheduled time to receive the package being received from the information processing device and a predetermined time elapsing from the scheduled time in a state where the logistics robot does not receive the package from the vehicle at the intermediate delivery point.

16. An information processing method executed by a control unit of an information processing device included in a delivery system in which a package delivered to an intermediate delivery point in a specific area is further delivered to a final delivery destination in the specific area, the information processing method comprising:
automatically determining a logistics robot that delivers the package from the intermediate delivery point to the final delivery destination;
automatically acquiring or generating authentication information for automatically confirming authenticity of the logistics

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jikuhara Yoshikazu
• Hioki Jun
• Yamada Kaori
• Watanabe Maiko
• Kuwayama Yuki
• Maruta Shunya
• Okumura Yo

Classifications

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06Q10/0835 Primary

  Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers · CPC title

• G06F21/445

  by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833

  Tracking · CPC title

• G06F21/44 Primary

  Program or device authentication · CPC title