CN113454664A - Information processing system, program, and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

Translated fromChinese

对装载服饰品的移动体进行管理的信息处理系统具备：区域提取部，在移动体能够配送服饰品的配送区域内，提取与(i)由用户对服饰品的试穿或购入、或(ii)用户装配或携带的服饰品的变更或追加有关的需求被预期的需求区域；以及运行管理部，基于区域提取部提取的需求区域的位置和需求的内容来管理移动体的运行。信息处理系统还可以具备需求判定部，该需求判定部针对在配送区域内配设的一个以上地点的至少一部分，判定需求的程度是否超过预定程度。

The information processing system for managing the mobile body carrying the apparel includes: an area extraction unit that extracts and (i) tries on or purchases the apparel by the user, within the delivery area where the mobile body can deliver the apparel, or ( ii) a demand area in which demand is expected regarding changes or additions of clothing items that the user fits or carries; and an operation management unit that manages the operation of the moving body based on the location of the demand area extracted by the area extraction unit and the content of the demand. The information processing system may further include a demand determination unit that determines whether or not the degree of demand exceeds a predetermined level with respect to at least a part of the one or more locations arranged in the delivery area.

Description

Information processing system, program, and information processing method

[ technical field ] A method for producing a semiconductor device

The invention relates to an information processing system, a program, and an information processing method.

[ background of the invention ]

A system is known that automatically reorders a product that has been ordered previously (see, for example, patent document 1). Further, a system for managing the operation of a delivery vehicle is known (for example, see patent document 2).

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2018-527662

[ patent document 2] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2017-165509

[ summary of the invention ]

Problems to be solved

However, the system described in patent document 1 cannot automatically place an order for a product that a user has not placed an order in the past. For example, even if a user of the system wants to change a portable article at an outgoing destination, the system cannot respond to the user's request. Patent document 2 discloses only that a plan for scheduling the operation of the delivery vehicle is generated after the purchase location and the delivery location are determined.

General disclosure of the invention

In a first aspect of the invention, an information handling system is provided. The information processing system is, for example, an information processing system for managing a moving object on which an article of apparel is mounted. The information processing system includes, for example, an area extraction unit that extracts, in a distribution area where the mobile object can distribute the article, a demand area where demands regarding (i) try-on or purchase of the article by the user, or (ii) change or addition of the article attached or carried by the user are expected. The information processing system includes, for example, an operation management unit that manages the operation of the mobile object based on the position of the demand area extracted by the area extraction unit and the content of the demand.

The information processing system may include a demand determination unit configured to determine whether or not a degree of demand exceeds a predetermined degree for at least a part of one or more points disposed in the distribution area. In the above information processing system, the area extraction unit may extract, as the demand area, a point at which the degree of demand determined by the demand determination unit exceeds a predetermined degree. The information processing system may further include a request receiving unit that receives a delivery request requesting delivery of the article of apparel to the specific location from the communication terminal of the user. The delivery request may contain delivery category information that shows attributes of the article of apparel that the user wishes to deliver. In the information processing system, the operation management unit manages the operation of the mobile body based on (i) the position of the specific spot indicated by the delivery request and (ii) the attribute of the article of apparel indicated by the delivery type information.

The information processing system may further include a user information acquisition unit configured to acquire information indicating a schedule (schedule) of the user. The information showing the schedule of the user may include information showing a time of day or a period, and information showing a position of the user in the time of day or the period. In the information processing system, the demand determination unit may determine that the degree of demand in the position indicated by the information acquired by the user information acquisition unit exceeds a predetermined degree at an initial stage or an end stage of the time or the period indicated by the information acquired by the user information acquisition unit.

In the information processing system, the information showing the schedule of the user may include information showing an action of the user at the time or during the time. The information processing system may further include a first demand type determination unit configured to determine an attribute of an item of apparel for which a demand is expected based on an action of the user. In the information processing system, the operation management unit manages the operation of the mobile object based on (i) the position of the user at the time or during the time period and (ii) the attribute of the clothing item determined by the first demand type determination unit.

The information processing system may include a facility information acquisition unit that acquires information showing a time zone in which facilities arranged in at least a part of the distribution area are used. In the information processing system, the demand determination unit may determine that the degree of demand at least a part of the points in the distribution area exceeds a predetermined degree in the time zone indicated by the information acquired by the facility information acquisition unit.

In the information processing system, the facility information acquiring unit may acquire information indicating a type of facility disposed at least a part of the points in the distribution area. The information processing system may further include a second demand type determination unit that determines an attribute of clothing items for which demand is expected in the facilities arranged in at least a part of the points in the distribution area, based on the type of the facilities indicated by the information acquired by the facility information acquisition unit, with reference to a facility information storage unit that stores the type of the facilities in association with the attribute of the clothing items of the users of the facilities. In the information processing system, the operation management unit may manage the operation of the moving object based on (i) the position of at least a part of the spots in the distribution area and (ii) the attribute of the clothing article determined by the second demand type determination unit.

The information processing system may include an image acquisition unit that acquires image data of an image captured by an imaging device disposed in the distribution area. The information processing system may include a collective detection unit that analyzes the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit and detects a collective of people. In the above-described information processing system, the demand determination section may determine that the degree of the demand in the location where the collective detection section detects the collective exceeds a predetermined degree, in a case where the collective detection section detects the collective. The information processing system may further include a third demand type determination unit that analyzes the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit and determines an attribute of the apparel for each of the plurality of persons that constitute the collective detected by the collective detection unit. In the above information processing system, the operation managing unit may manage the operation of the moving body based on (i) the position of the point at which the collective is detected, and (ii) the attribute of the apparel determined by the third demand type determining unit. In the information processing system, the region extraction unit may extract one or more required regions by analyzing at least one of weather information, news information, and information on the SNS.

The information processing system can manage a plurality of moving bodies. In the above information processing system, each of the plurality of moving bodies may load a plurality of articles of apparel. In the above information processing system, the operation management unit may have an assignment unit that determines one or more moving bodies assigned to the demand area among the plurality of moving bodies, based on an attribute of clothing expected to be demanded in the demand area, with reference to an article information storage unit that stores, for each of the plurality of moving bodies, information indicating an attribute of each of the plurality of articles loaded in the moving body.

In the information processing system, the allocation unit may determine the allocation of the one or more moving objects such that a larger number of articles of apparel than the number required for the change or addition is distributed to the demand area. In the information processing system, the allocation unit may determine the one or more moving objects to be allocated to the demand area so that the number of articles corresponding to the demand for women's articles is greater than the number of articles corresponding to the demand for men's articles. In the above information processing system, the allocation section may decide the number of moving bodies allocated to the specific demand region based on the number or ratio of females existing in the specific demand region.

In the information processing system, the operation management unit may manage the operations of the plurality of moving bodies such that another moving body having a different attribute at least in part of the attributes of the articles of apparel mounted thereon is disposed in the delivery area of the specific moving body. In the information processing system, the article information storage unit may store, for each of the plurality of moving objects, information showing a use history of each of the plurality of articles of apparel loaded in the moving object. In the information processing system, the operation management unit may extract moving objects, of the plurality of moving objects, for which the number or ratio of unused articles is smaller than a predetermined value, with reference to the article information storage unit. In the information processing system, the operation management unit may determine to move the extracted movable body to a support center for performing maintenance or management of the plurality of movable bodies or the plurality of articles of apparel.

In a second aspect of the present invention, an information processing method is provided. The information processing method is, for example, an information processing method for managing a moving object on which an article of apparel is mounted. The information processing method described above has, for example, a region extraction stage in which, in a distribution region where a mobile body can distribute accessories, a demand region where demands regarding (i) fitting or purchase of accessories by a user, or (ii) change or addition of accessories assembled or carried by a user are expected is extracted. The above-described information processing method has, for example, an operation management stage in which the operation of the mobile body is managed based on the position of the required area extracted in the area extraction stage and the content of the requirement.

In a third aspect of the invention, a program is provided. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing the above program may also be provided. The program is, for example, a program for causing a computer to function as the information processing system. The program may be a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method.

The above summary of the present invention does not necessarily describe all necessary features of the present invention. Moreover, sub-combinations of these feature sets can also be made inventions.

[ description of the drawings ]

Fig. 1 schematically shows an example of a system configuration of adistribution system 100.

Fig. 2 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of thedelivery management server 110.

Fig. 3 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of theinformation collection unit 240.

Fig. 4 schematically shows an example of the internal structure of thestorage unit 250.

Fig. 5 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of theinventory management unit 260.

Fig. 6 schematically shows an example of the internal structure of thevehicle management unit 270.

Fig. 7 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of thedemand forecasting unit 630.

Fig. 8 schematically shows an example of a demand map (map) 800.

Fig. 9 schematically shows an example of the internal structure of thevehicle mounting portion 650.

Fig. 10 schematically shows an example of thevehicle 120.

Fig. 11 schematically shows an example of a system configuration of thecomputer 3000.

[ detailed description ] embodiments

The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments thereof, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. In addition, all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In the drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[ overview of distribution System 100 ]

Fig. 1 schematically shows an example of a system configuration of adistribution system 100. In the present embodiment, thedelivery system 100 includes adelivery management server 110 and a plurality ofvehicles 120. Thedistribution system 100 may be provided with alogistics center 130. In this embodiment, thedistribution center 130 has an in-out management server 132.

In the present embodiment, thedelivery management server 110 and each of the plurality ofvehicles 120 transmit and receive information to and from each other via thecommunication network 10. Thedelivery management server 110 can transmit and receive information to and from thecommunication terminal 22 of thesubscriber 20 using thedelivery system 100. Each of the plurality ofvehicles 120 may transceive information between it and thecommunication terminal 22 of thesubscriber 20 using the vehicle.

In the present embodiment, thecommunication network 10 may be a transmission path for wired communication, a transmission path for wireless communication, or a combination of a transmission path for wireless communication and a transmission path for wired communication. Thecommunication network 10 may comprise a wireless packet communication network, the internet, a P2P network, a private line, a VPN, a power line communication line, etc. The Communication network 10(i) may include a mobile Communication network such as a mobile telephone network, and (ii) may include a wireless data Communication network such as a wireless MAN (e.g., WiMAX (registered trademark)), a wireless LAN (e.g., WiFi (registered trademark)), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), or NFC (Near Field Communication).

In the present embodiment, thecommunication terminal 22 transmits and receives various information to and from at least one of thedistribution management server 110 and thevehicle 120. Thecommunication terminal 22 has an input device and an output device and may be used as a user interface for thedelivery system 100. Thecommunication terminal 22 is not particularly limited in detail as long as it is an information processing apparatus usable by theuser 20. As thecommunication terminal 22, a personal computer, a portable terminal, and the like are exemplified. As the portable terminal, a portable phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a tablet computer, a notebook computer or a laptop computer, a wearable computer, and the like are exemplified.

In this embodiment, dispensingsystem 100 dispenses articles of apparel upon request fromuser 20. In recent years, services such as the following have been developed: the article of apparel that fits the size ofuser 20 is distributed based on information obtained by measuring the body ofuser 20, or the article of apparel that fits the color or raw material ofuser 20 is distributed using artificial intelligence. However,many users 20 wish to actually confirm the physical object or try-on before purchasing the article of apparel or temporarily wearing it.

According to this embodiment, dispensingsystem 100 dispenses articles of apparel upon request fromuser 20.Dispensing system 100 may dispense a greater number of articles of apparel than are actually worn or carried byuser 20.Distribution system 100 may distribute a greater number of articles of apparel than the number specified byuser 20 via the request. Thedispensing system 100 may adjust the number dispensed based on the type of article of apparel. Thus, even in the case where the article of apparel designated byuser 20 is different from the article of apparel envisioned byuser 20,user 20 may be able to select a preferred article of apparel from other articles of apparel that are simultaneously distributed. As a result, the delivery efficiency is improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, theuser 20 can change clothes or change accessories at the destination, for example. In particular, wherevehicle 120 provides a fitting space,user 20 may be able to select newly worn or carried articles of apparel by actually fitting the dispensed articles of apparel, taking into account the balance between the dispensed articles of apparel and other articles of apparel worn or carried byuser 20.

In one embodiment,user 20 wishes to change the clothing based on the clothing of another person. For example, consider the case wheresubscriber 20 attends a party held infacility 30. In a party venue,user 20 may wish to change clothing in the event thatuser 20's clothing is very different from the clothing of other attendees. In the event thatuser 20 wishes to change apparel,user 20requests delivery system 100 to, for example, deliver an article of apparel appropriate for the aforementioned party to ornear facility 30.

In this way, theuser 20 can select an item of apparel desired to be purchased or lent from among the distributed items of apparel, other items of apparel to be worn, and the like, in consideration of the balance with the other attendees. Further, wherevehicle 120 provides a fitting space,user 20 may be able to fit or replace the dispensed article of apparel.

Also, in a party venue,user 20 may wish to change clothing in the event thatuser 20's clothing is very similar to other attendees' clothing. In the event thatuser 20 wishes to change clothing,user 20requests delivery system 100 to, for example, deliver an article of clothing that is appropriate for the party and that is of a different style than the current clothing ofuser 20 or the clothing of the other attendees described above, to ornear facility 30.

As another example, theuser 20 may see the clothing of another person who is seen while going out and may desire to change the clothing to the same clothing. In this case,user 20requests delivery system 100 to, for example, dispense an article of apparel that is the same as or similar to the clothing of another person as described above to the present location or destination ofuser 20 or its vicinity. The present location or destination ofuser 20 may be an instance offacility 30.

In other embodiments, theuser 20 wishes to change the garment according to the user's 20 subscription. For example, consider a case where theuser 20 intends to go to a restaurant for a meal after finishing work in a work unit. In this case, theuser 20 may wish to change from a work garment to a garment that fits the restaurant atmosphere. In the event thatuser 20 wishes to change clothing,user 20requests delivery system 100 to, for example, deliver the article of apparel to or near a work unit or restaurant. A work unit or restaurant or the facility in which it is located may be an example offacility 30.

In other embodiments, theuser 20 may wish to change the garment in response to a predetermined change. For example, there may be situations whereuser 20 suddenly attends a night or funeral while out. As described above, when theuser 20 suddenly changes the reservation while going out, theuser 20 may wish to change the clothing. In the event thatuser 20 wishes to change clothing,user 20requests delivery system 100 to, for example, deliver an article of clothing suitable for overnight or funeral to ornear facility 30, which is a overnight or funeral venue.

Further, in another embodiment, theuser 20 may wish to change the clothing according to changes in the weather. For example, in the event of a sudden change in weather whileuser 20 is out,user 20 may wish to change to a garment suitable for the changed weather. In the event thatuser 20 wishes to change apparel,user 20requests delivery system 100 to, for example, deliver an article of apparel appropriate for the changed weather to or near the present location or destination ofuser 20. The present location or destination ofuser 20 may be an instance offacility 30.

As described above, in the present embodiment, thedelivery system 100 delivers a greater number of articles of apparel than the number specified by theuser 20, for example, in response to a request from theuser 20. Therefore, even when theuser 20 changes his/her clothes while going out, theuser 20 can change his/her clothes to clothes more suitable for his/her body by using thedistribution system 100. Further,user 20 can be exchanged for a garment that takes into account balance with other articles of apparel worn or carried byuser 20. As described above, thedelivery system 100 can provide a service with a higher user satisfaction degree than the conventional delivery system.

[ overview of parts of distribution System 100 ]

In the present embodiment, thedelivery management server 110 manages a plurality ofvehicles 120. Thedelivery management server 110 may manage the present location of each of the plurality ofvehicles 120. Thedelivery management server 110 may manage the use condition of each of the plurality ofvehicles 120. Thedelivery management server 110 may manage the allocation of a plurality ofvehicles 120. Thedelivery management server 110 may divide the region to be managed into a plurality of sub-regions, and allocate one ormore vehicles 120 serving as services in each sub-region. Thedelivery management server 110 may manage the vehicle allocation for each sub-area.

In the present embodiment, thedelivery management server 110 manages a plurality of articles of apparel. In one embodiment, thedispatch management server 110 may manage the present location of each of a plurality of articles of apparel. Thedelivery management server 110 may manage the present location of thevehicle 120 loading a particular article of apparel as the present location of the article of apparel. Thedistribution management server 110 may manage the position of thelogistics center 130 in which a specific article of apparel is stored as the current position of the article of apparel.

In other embodiments, thedispatch management server 110 may manage the utilization of each of a plurality of articles of apparel. Examples of the usage state of the clothing articles include (i) a state of being stored in thelogistics center 130, (ii) a state of waiting for the start of a maintenance operation such as a cleaning operation, an ironing operation, and a repairing operation, or a state of performing a maintenance operation, (iii) a state of performing a delivery preparation operation such as a loading operation to thevehicle 120, (iv) a state of being delivered to a delivery destination by thevehicle 120, (v) a state of being stored in the interior of thevehicle 120 parked at the delivery destination, (vi) a state of being tried-on by theuser 20, (vii) a state of being lent by theuser 20, (viii) a state of being transferred to theuser 20, and (ix) a state of being returned to thelogistics center 130 by thevehicle 120.

The use of the article of apparel is not limited to the above examples. As other examples of the usage status of the clothing article, the number of times of lending to theuser 20, the number of times of trying on by theuser 20, the number of times of performing the maintenance work, the position of the contamination or damage, the degree of the contamination or damage, the purchase time, the latest maintenance time, the latest delivery time, the latest lending time, the position of the delivery destination, the arrival scheduled time at the delivery destination, the scheduled time at which the article can be moved from the delivery destination, the return scheduled time, the scheduled completion time of the maintenance, and the like are exemplified.

In the present embodiment, thedelivery management server 110 receives information (sometimes referred to as a delivery request) requesting the delivery of the article of apparel to a specific location from thecommunication terminal 22 of theuser 20. The delivery request may include information about the time or period during which theuser 20 wishes to deliver (sometimes referred to as delivery-desired time). Information regarding the articles of apparel thatuser 20 wishes to dispense may be included in the dispense request.

As the information on the article of apparel, information on the attribute of the article of apparel, information on the size of the article of apparel, and the like are exemplified. As the attribute of the apparel, at least one of a user layer, a system, a kind, a use, a manufacturer, a seller, a color, a pattern, and a raw material is exemplified.

As the user layer of the clothing article, at least one of the age layer and the sex of the main user is exemplified. Examples of the system of the clothing accessories include formal wear, full dress, business, leisure, and the like. Examples of the types of clothing accessories include jackets, shirts, pants, skirts, leather shoes, sandals, high-heeled shoes, bags, necklaces, earrings, and eyeglasses. Examples of the uses of the clothing accessories include rainy weather, snowy weather, spring weather, summer weather, autumn weather, winter weather, work, etiquette, and the like. Examples of the size of the clothing article include sex, height, weight, body type, chest circumference, body circumference, waist circumference, shoulder width, body width, clothing length, sleeve width, cuff width, crotch, and hem width of a person or object to be used in the clothing article. The dimensions may be expressed in terms of values or ranges of values, or in terms of symbols indicating a period of time.

The information related to the article of apparel may include information related to the current apparel ofuser 20. The information related to the present clothing of theuser 20 may contain image data showing the present clothing of theuser 20. The information related to the article of apparel may include image data that shows the article of apparel thatuser 20 wishes to dispense. The information related to the article of apparel may include image data that shows articles of apparel thatuser 20 does not wish to dispense.

Thedelivery management server 110 extracts one ormore vehicles 120 loaded with accessories in accordance with the request from theuser 20 from among the plurality ofvehicles 120 under the management of thedelivery management server 110. Thedelivery management server 110 may adjust the location of the location (sometimes referred to as the delivery destination) at which the article of apparel is delivered with theuser 20. For example, thedelivery management server 110 determines one of one or more parking spaces or parking spaces existing in the vicinity of the location specified by the delivery request as the location of the delivery destination. Thedelivery management server 110 may adjust the time or period of arrival of the predicted vehicle 120 (sometimes referred to as the delivery schedule time) with theuser 20.

Thedelivery management server 110 transmits (i) identification information of theuser 20 who transmitted the delivery request, (ii) information showing the location of the delivery destination, and (iii) a delivery desired time or a delivery scheduled time, to the extractedvehicle 120 or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle. Thereby, thedelivery management server 110 can manage the operation of each of the plurality ofvehicles 120. Thedelivery management server 110 may further transmit authentication information for authenticating theuser 20 who has transmitted the delivery request.

As the identification information of theuser 20, account information given to theuser 20 by thedistribution management server 110, account information of theuser 20 in any SNS, image data of theuser 20, information showing a physical feature of theuser 20, information showing a current clothing of theuser 20, and the like are exemplified. The identification information of theuser 20 may be used as authentication information of the user.

In the present embodiment, thedelivery management server 110 is configured with one ormore vehicles 120 in advance in the vicinity of thefacility 30 where a demand is expected regarding (i) fitting or purchase of an article of clothing by theuser 20, or (ii) change or addition of an article of clothing mounted or carried by theuser 20. This can shorten the time from the reception of the distribution request from theuser 20 by thedistribution management server 110 until thevehicle 120 reaches the distribution destination.

Specifically, first, thedistribution management server 110 extracts, from the distribution areas of the plurality ofvehicles 120 based on thelogistics center 130, an area (sometimes referred to as a demand area) where demand is expected regarding (i) try-on of the clothing by theuser 20 or (ii) change or addition of the clothing attached or carried by theuser 20. The dispensing area may be an area where thevehicle 120 is able to dispense items of apparel. The delivery area may be an area where delivery services for the article of apparel are provided by thedelivery management server 110. The dispensing area may be an area where thevehicle 120 is able to dispense items of apparel. The area where thevehicle 120 is able to dispense the apparel may be an area where thevehicle 120 accepts the dispensing of the apparel.

Next, thedistribution management server 110 determines one ormore vehicles 120 arranged in each demand area based on the position of the demand area and the content of the demand in the demand area. Thedistribution management server 110 extracts a place where one ormore vehicles 120 can stand by (sometimes referred to as a standby place) inside or near each demand area.

Next, even when thedelivery management server 110 does not accept the delivery request for delivering the clothing articles to the specific position in the demand area, it executes the process for moving thevehicle 120 to the standby place. Specifically, thedistribution management server 110 transmits information indicating the position of the waiting place of thevehicle 120 disposed in each demand area or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle. Thereby, thedelivery management server 110 can manage the operation of each of the plurality ofvehicles 120.

In this embodiment,vehicle 120 is loaded with one or more articles of apparel. In the present embodiment, the destination of thevehicle 120 is specified by thedelivery management server 110. Thevehicle 120 moves so as to reach the position indicated by the command from thedistribution management server 110 before the time indicated by the command.

Thevehicle 120 may be moved by an operation of a driver, or may be moved by an autonomous driving or a remote operation. Examples of thevehicle 120 include a bicycle, an automobile, and a motorcycle. Examples of the motor vehicle include an engine vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a working machine. Examples of the motorcycle include (i) a motorcycle, (ii) a three-wheeled motorcycle, and (iii) a stand-up motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle having a power unit.

In the present embodiment, thelogistics center 130 stores the clothing articles. A plurality of articles of apparel are moved intologistics center 130 from an owner or seller of the articles of apparel. Inlogistics center 130, a plurality of articles of apparel are loaded into each of the plurality ofvehicles 120. Inlogistics center 130, one or more articles of apparel are removed from at least a portion of plurality ofvehicles 120. For example, articles of apparel whose number of uses exceeds a predetermined value, articles of apparel whose length during loading exceeds a predetermined value, and the like are taken out of thevehicle 120. The article of apparel removed fromvehicle 120 is, for example, distributed to a cleaning facility. As the number of utilization times, the number of fitting times, the number of trial times, the number of lending times, and the like are exemplified.

Sometimes, aftervehicle 120 has delivered an article of apparel touser 20 anduser 20 has changed the clothing, custody or delivery of the article of apparel worn by the user prior to that is requested byuser 20. According to one embodiment, thevehicle 120 moves within a distribution area while storing the apparel item of theuser 20 or distributing the apparel item to a distribution destination designated by theuser 20. According to other embodiments,vehicle 120 temporarily brings the items of apparel ofuser 20 back tologistics center 130. In this case, inlogistics center 130, the apparel ofuser 20 is removed from at least a portion of plurality ofvehicles 120. The articles of apparel removed fromvehicle 120 may be kept inlogistics center 130 or distributed to designated locations.

In the present embodiment, the in-out management server 132 manages the warehousing and ex-warehouse of the accessories in thelogistics center 130. For example, the in-out management server 132 manages information on the clothing stored in thedistribution center 130. The in-out management server 132 may manage information related to the articles of apparel loaded to each of the one ormore vehicles 120 in thelogistics center 130. Information regarding articles of apparel removed from each of the more than onevehicle 120 in thelogistics center 130 may be managed.

As the information on the article of apparel, information showing the attribute of the article of apparel, information on the size of the article of apparel, and the like are exemplified. In the information relating to the article of apparel, identification information for identifying each of the plurality of articles of apparel may be included.

Thefacility 30 may be an example of a facility provided at least a part of the distribution area. Thedistribution system 100 may be an example of an information processing system. Thedelivery management server 110 may be an example of an information processing system. Thevehicle 120 may be an example of a mobile body.

In the present embodiment, the details of thedelivery system 100 will be described by taking a case where thedelivery management server 110 manages thevehicle 120 and accessories as an example. However, thedistribution system 100 is not limited to this embodiment. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the functions of thedelivery management server 110 may be performed by thevehicle 120 or the in-out management server 132. In this case, thevehicle 120 or the in-out management server 132 may be an example of an information processing system.

In the present embodiment, the details of thedistribution system 100 will be described by taking a case where thevehicle 120 distributes accessories as an example. However, thedistribution system 100 is not limited to this embodiment. In other embodiments, any type of mobile object may dispense articles of apparel.

Examples of the moving body include a bicycle, an automobile, a motorcycle, an electric train, a ship, and a flying body. Examples of the motor vehicle include an engine vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a working machine. Examples of the motorcycle include (i) a motorcycle, (ii) a three-wheeled motorcycle, and (iii) a stand-up motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle having a power unit. Examples of the ship include a ship, a hovercraft, a water motorcycle, a diving ship, a submarine, and an underwater skateboard. Examples of the flying body include an aircraft, an airship, a balloon, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and the like.

[ concrete Structure of Each part of distribution System 100 ]

The various components of thedistribution system 100 may be implemented in hardware, software, hardware, and software. At least a part of each section of thedistribution system 100 may be implemented by a single server or may be implemented by a plurality of servers. At least a portion of thedistribution system 100 may be implemented on a virtual server or a cloud system. At least a part of each section of thedistribution system 100 may be realized by a personal computer or a portable terminal. As the portable terminal, a portable phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a wearable computer, or the like can be exemplified. Thedistribution system 100 may also store information using distributed accounting techniques such as blockchains or distributed networks.

When at least a part of the components constituting thedistribution system 100 is realized by software, the components realized by the software can be realized by starting a program for specifying operations related to the components in an information processing apparatus having a general configuration. The information processing apparatus having the above general configuration may include: (i) a data processing device including a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, and the like, (ii) a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a posture input device, various sensors, an input device such as a GPS receiver, (iii) an output device such as a display device, a voice output device, and a vibration device, and (iv) a storage device such as a memory or an HDD (including an external storage device).

In the information processing apparatus having the above general configuration, the data processing apparatus or the storage apparatus may store the program. The program causes the information processing apparatus to execute the operation defined by the program when executed by a processor. The above-described program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. The program may be stored in a computer-readable medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a memory, a hard disk, or a storage device connected to a network.

The program may be a program for causing a computer to function as thedistribution system 100 or a part thereof. The program may include a module that defines operations of each part of thedistribution system 100. These programs and modules act on a data processing device, an input device, an output device, a storage device, and the like, and cause a computer to function as each part of thedistribution system 100 or cause a computer to execute an information processing method in each part of thedistribution system 100. The above-described program may be installed from a storage device connected to a computer-readable medium or a network to a computer constituting at least a part of thedistribution system 100. By executing the program, the computer can function as at least a part of each part of thedistribution system 100. By reading the program into a computer, the information processing described in the program functions as a specific means for cooperating software related to the program with various hardware resources of thedistribution system 100 or a part thereof. Then, the above-described specific means implements calculation or processing of information corresponding to the purpose of use of the computer in the present embodiment, thereby constructing thedistribution system 100 corresponding to the purpose of use.

The program may be a program for causing a computer to function as thedistribution management server 110. The program may be a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method in thedistribution management server 110.

The information processing method may be a method for managing a moving object on which an article of apparel is mounted. The above method has, for example, a region extraction stage in which, in a distribution region where a mobile body can distribute an article of apparel, one or more demand regions where demands concerning (i) try-on of the article by a user, or (ii) change or addition of an article assembled or carried by a user are expected are extracted. The above-described method has, for example, an operation management stage in which the operation of the mobile body is managed based on the positions of one or more required regions extracted in the region extraction stage and the contents of the requirements.

Fig. 2 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of thedelivery management server 110. In the present embodiment, thedelivery management server 110 includes a deliveryrequest receiving unit 220, aresponse unit 230, aninformation collecting unit 240, astorage unit 250, aninventory management unit 260, and avehicle management unit 270.

In the present embodiment, the deliveryrequest receiving unit 220 receives a delivery request from thecommunication terminal 22 of theuser 20. The deliveryrequest receiving unit 220 may output a delivery request from theuser 20 to thevehicle management unit 270.

As described above, the delivery request illustrates aparticular user 20 requesting that an article of apparel be delivered to a particular location. The delivery request includes, for example, identification information of theuser 20 who has sent the request, and information indicating the location of the delivery destination desired by theuser 20. The delivery request may also contain information showing the desired time of delivery. The delivery request may also contain information (sometimes referred to as delivery type information) that shows attributes of the article of apparel thatuser 20 wishes to deliver. As described above, as the attribute of the apparel, at least one of the user layer, the system, the kind, the use, the manufacturer, the seller, the color, the pattern, and the raw material is exemplified.

In the present embodiment, theresponse unit 230 functions as an interface between thedistribution management server 110 and theuser 20 and the operator of thedistribution management server 110. For example, theresponse unit 230 generates an input screen for accepting a delivery request from theuser 20, and transmits the input screen to thecommunication terminal 22. When the deliveryrequest receiving unit 220 receives a delivery request from theuser 20, the respondingunit 230 responds to the delivery request.

For example, theresponse unit 230 transmits information indicating whether or not the delivery request of theuser 20 is accepted, to thecommunication terminal 22. Theresponse unit 230 may generate a screen for adjusting the position of the delivery destination with theuser 20 and transmit the screen to thecommunication terminal 22. Theresponse unit 230 may determine the location of the delivery destination based on information input to the screen by theuser 20. Theresponse unit 230 may generate a screen for adjusting the scheduled delivery time with theuser 20 and transmit the screen to thecommunication terminal 22. Theresponse unit 230 may determine the scheduled delivery time based on information input to the screen by theuser 20.

In the present embodiment, theinformation collection unit 240 collects various kinds of information. Theinformation collection part 240 may store the collected information in thestorage part 250. The details of theinformation collection unit 240 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, thestorage unit 250 stores various kinds of information. For example, thestorage unit 250 stores information used for information processing in each unit of thedistribution management server 110. Thestorage unit 250 may store information generated in the information processing of each unit of thedistribution management server 110. Details of thestorage unit 250 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, theinventory management unit 260 manages the inventory of the apparel items. For example, theinventory management unit 260 manages the current status of a plurality of accessories managed by thedelivery management server 110. The details of theinventory management unit 260 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, thevehicle management unit 270 manages thevehicle 120. For example, thevehicle management unit 270 manages the current states of the plurality ofvehicles 120 managed by thedelivery management server 110. Thevehicle management section 270 may manage the operation of each of the plurality ofvehicles 120. Details of thevehicle management unit 270 will be described later.

The deliveryrequest receiving unit 220 may be an example of a request receiving unit. Theinformation collection unit 240 may be an example of a user information acquisition unit, a facility information acquisition unit, and an image acquisition unit. Thestorage unit 250 may be an example of a facility information storage unit and a accessory information storage unit. Thevehicle management unit 270 may be an example of an information processing system.

Fig. 3 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of theinformation collection unit 240. In the present embodiment, theinformation collection unit 240 includes a userinformation acquisition unit 320, a regioninformation acquisition unit 330, a WEBinformation acquisition unit 340, and an imagedata acquisition unit 350.

In the present embodiment, the userinformation acquisition unit 320 acquires information on each of one ormore users 20. For example, the userinformation acquisition unit 320 acquires information showing a profile of each of the one ormore users 20. The userinformation acquiring unit 320 may store the information indicating the profile in thestorage unit 250.

As the information showing the profile, identification information of theuser 20, information showing the age of theuser 20, information showing the sex of theuser 20, measurement data of the body of theuser 20, information on clothing articles owned by theuser 20, information on clothing articles worn by theuser 20 when using thedistribution management server 110 in the past, and the like are exemplified. As the identification information of theuser 20, account information given to the user by thedistribution management server 110, account information of theuser 20 in an arbitrary SNS, image data of an image of theuser 20, information showing a facial or body feature used in identification of theuser 20, and the like are exemplified.

The measurement data include height, weight, body type, chest circumference, body circumference, waist circumference, shoulder width, body width, garment length, sleeve width, cuff width, rise, crotch, and lap width. As the information relating to the article of apparel, information showing the attribute of the article of apparel, information showing the size of the article of apparel, and the like are exemplified.

The userinformation acquisition unit 320 may acquire information showing a schedule of each of the one ormore users 20. The userinformation acquiring unit 320 may store the information indicating the schedule in thestorage unit 250.

The information showing the schedule of theuser 20 may be information that corresponds information showing a time or a period to information showing the position of theuser 20 in the time or the period. The information showing the schedule of theuser 20 may be information showing a time or a period, information showing a position of theuser 20 in the time or the period, and information corresponding to an action of theuser 20 in the position.

In the present embodiment, the areainformation acquisition unit 330 acquires information on one ormore facilities 30 disposed in the distribution area. Note that thefacility 30 is not limited to a building. As another example of thefacility 30, land, a part of land, a stationary object of land, an art, a monument, and the like are exemplified. Thefacility 30 may be a part of a road, a parking lot, a park, or an open place.

The areainformation acquisition unit 330 acquires information on each facility from a website that introduces each of one ormore facilities 30, for example, via thecommunication network 10. The areainformation acquiring unit 330 may analyze the information acquired by the WEBinformation acquiring unit 340 to acquire information related to thefacility 30. The areainformation acquiring unit 330 may store information about thefacility 30 in thestorage unit 250.

As the information on thefacility 30, identification information of the facility, information showing a location of the facility, information showing a time zone in which the facility is used, information showing an attribute of the facility, information showing a schedule of an event held at the facility, and the like are exemplified. As the information showing the attribute of the facility, information showing the type of the facility, information showing the user layer of the facility, information showing the attribute of the clothing article of the user of the facility, and the like are exemplified.

The information showing the schedule of the event may include information showing the time or period at which the event was held. The information showing the schedule of the event may further include identification information of the event, and information showing an attribute of the event. As the information showing the attribute of the event, information showing the kind of the event, information showing the participant layer of the event, information showing the attribute of the article of clothing of the participant of the event, and the like are exemplified.

In the present embodiment, the WEBinformation acquisition unit 340 collects various information present on the WEB. For example, the WEBinformation acquisition unit 340 collects information with immediacy, such as weather information, news information, and information posted in an arbitrary SNS. The WEBinformation acquisition unit 340 may collect information corresponding to information showing a time or a period and information showing a location or a region. For example, the WEBinformation acquisition unit 340 acquires information posted in the SNS and information showing the time at which the information was posted in the SNS. The WEBinformation acquisition unit 340 may output the collected information to the areainformation acquisition unit 330. The WEBinformation acquisition unit 340 may store the collected information in thestorage unit 250.

In the present embodiment, the imagedata acquisition unit 350 acquires image data of an image captured by an imaging device (not shown) disposed in the distribution area. The imagedata acquiring unit 350 may acquire the image data and information indicating the time when the image was captured. In one embodiment, the imaging device is mounted on a mobile body that moves in a distribution area. In another embodiment, the imaging device is disposed at a specific position within the distribution area. In the present embodiment, the imagedata obtaining unit 350 outputs the image data to thevehicle management unit 270. The imagedata obtaining unit 350 may store the image data in thestorage unit 250.

The userinformation acquisition unit 320 may be an example of a user information acquisition unit. The areainformation acquisition unit 330 may be an example of a facility information acquisition unit. The imagedata acquisition unit 350 may be an example of an image acquisition unit.

Fig. 4 schematically shows an example of the internal structure of thestorage unit 250. In the present embodiment, thestorage unit 250 includes a userinformation storage unit 420, an areainformation storage unit 430, an inventoryinformation storage unit 440, and a vehicleinformation storage unit 450.

In the present embodiment, the userinformation storage unit 420 stores information acquired by the userinformation acquisition unit 320. The userinformation storage unit 420 extracts information that matches the condition indicated by the request in response to the request from thevehicle management unit 270. The userinformation storage part 420 may output the extracted information to thevehicle management part 270.

In the present embodiment, the areainformation storage unit 430 stores the information acquired by the areainformation acquisition unit 330. The areainformation storage unit 430 may store information acquired by the WEBinformation acquisition unit 340. The areainformation storage unit 430 may store the image data acquired by the imagedata acquisition unit 350. The areainformation storage unit 430 extracts information that matches the condition indicated by the request, in response to the request from thevehicle management unit 270. The areainformation storage portion 430 may output the extracted information to thevehicle management portion 270.

In the present embodiment, the inventoryinformation storage unit 440 acquires information on each of the plurality of articles of apparel stored in thedistribution center 130 from the in-out management server 132, and stores the information. The inventoryinformation storage unit 440 acquires information on each of the plurality of articles of apparel managed by thedelivery management server 110 from theinventory management unit 260, and stores the information.

The stockinformation storage unit 440 extracts information that matches the condition indicated by the request, in response to the request from thevehicle management unit 270. Theinventory information storage 440 may output the extracted information to thevehicle management 270.

In the present embodiment, the vehicleinformation storage unit 450 acquires information on each of the plurality ofvehicles 120 managed by thedistribution system 100 from thevehicle management unit 270, and stores the information. For example, vehicleinformation storage unit 450 acquires, fromvehicle 120, information that associates identification information ofvehicle 120, information that shows a time, and information that shows a position ofvehicle 120 at that time.

The vehicleinformation storage unit 450 extracts information that matches the condition indicated by the request, in response to the request from thevehicle management unit 270. The vehicleinformation storage portion 450 may output the extracted information to thevehicle management portion 270.

The areainformation storage unit 430 may be an example of a facility information storage unit. Theinventory information storage 440 may be an example of an apparel information storage.

Fig. 5 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of theinventory management unit 260. In the present embodiment, theinventory management unit 260 includes an inventoryinformation acquisition unit 520, anupdate unit 530, and adetailed calculation unit 540. In the present embodiment, the inventoryinformation acquisition unit 520 includes an in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 and a sensoroutput analysis unit 524.

In the present embodiment, the inventoryinformation acquiring unit 520 acquires information on the inventory of the accessories loaded on each vehicle from each of the plurality ofvehicles 120. The information on the inventory of the articles of apparel loaded in thevehicle 120 includes, for example, identification information of the vehicle, identification information of each of a plurality of articles of apparel loaded to the vehicle in thelogistics center 130, and information showing a use situation of each of the plurality of articles of apparel. The usage states include available, unavailable, reserved, lent, sold, and the like.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the information indicating the inventory of the apparel stored in thedistribution center 130 is stored in the inventoryinformation storage unit 440 by the in-out management server 132. However, theinventory management unit 260 is not limited to the present embodiment. In another embodiment, the inventoryinformation acquiring unit 520 may acquire information showing the inventory of the articles of apparel stored in thedistribution center 130 from the in-out management server 132.

In the present embodiment, in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 acquires image data of an image captured by an imaging device provided in the interior ofvehicle 120, the imaging device capturing an image of the interior ofvehicle 120. The in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 analyzes the image and detects a change in the usage status of the accessories mounted on thevehicle 120. For example, the in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 detects that theuser 20 using thevehicle 120 has changed to a specific article of apparel. In this case, the use status of the above-mentioned apparel article is changed from "available" to "in loan" or "sold out".

The in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 may output information indicating the detection result to theupdate unit 530. The in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 may output information indicating the detection result to the detailingunit 540.

In the present embodiment, sensoroutput analysis unit 524 acquires information indicating the output results of various sensors disposed in the vehicle interior ofvehicle 120. The sensoroutput analysis unit 524 analyzes the output result, and detects a change in the use status of the accessories mounted on thevehicle 120. For example, the sensoroutput analysis unit 524 detects that a specific article of apparel is carried out of the vehicle. In this case, the use status of the above-mentioned apparel article is changed from "available" to "in loan" or "sold out".

The in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 may output information indicating the detection result to theupdate unit 530. The in-vehicleimage analysis unit 522 may output information indicating the detection result to the detailingunit 540.

In the present embodiment, theupdate unit 530 acquires information showing a change in the use status of the accessories mounted on thevehicle 120 from the inventoryinformation acquisition unit 520. The updatingunit 530 updates the information stored in the inventoryinformation storage unit 440 based on the information showing the change in the use status of the apparel. The updatingsection 530 may generate information showing a usage history of each article of apparel based on the information showing the change in the usage status of each article of apparel. The updatingpart 530 may store information showing the use history of each article of apparel in the inventoryinformation storage part 440.

In the present embodiment, the detailingpart 540 acquires information showing a change in the use status of the accessories mounted on thevehicle 120 from the inventoryinformation acquiring part 520. The detailingpart 540 performs processing for charging the fee to theuser 20 based on the above information. For example, the detailingpart 540 calculates the use fee of the service provided to theuser 20, the money of the goods transferred to theuser 20, and the like. The detailingpart 540 may present information on the calculated various fees to theuser 20. For example, the detailingpart 540 transmits a command for notifying theuser 20 of information on the fee to a display device or an audio output device mounted in thevehicle 120. The detailingpart 540 may transmit information on the above-described fee to thecommunication terminal 22 of theuser 20.

In one embodiment, thesection 540 calculates a loan fee for the article of apparel utilized by theuser 20. In other embodiments, thecalculation unit 540 calculates a sales fee of the article of apparel purchased by theuser 20. In other embodiments, thedetailed calculation unit 540 calculates a fitting fee of the apparel fitting fitted by theuser 20. Further, in another embodiment, the detailingpart 540 calculates a distribution fee of the accessories distributed to theuser 20.

Thecalculation unit 540 performs the settlement process of the fee. When it is detected that theuser 20 is away from thevehicle 120, the detailingpart 540 may perform the settlement processing of the fee. The settlement unit is not particularly limited. For example, thecalculation unit 540 transmits a request for requesting the start of an electronic settlement process on the account of theuser 20 to a server that provides an arbitrary electronic settlement service.

Further, in the case where an illicit act of theuser 20 is detected during the period in which theuser 20 utilizes the service provided by thedelivery system 100, a process for collecting a breach of contract may be performed. For example, in the case where the illicit act of theuser 20 is detected, when it is detected that theuser 20 exits or departs from thevehicle 120 as it is without the illicit state being eliminated, thevehicle 120 outputs a message for prompting theuser 20 to confirm. Further, thedistribution system 100 may transmit the above-described message to thecommunication terminal 22 of theuser 20.

When the above-described improper condition is not resolved even if the above-described message is notified, the detailingpart 540 may transmit a message showing that the breach of deposit may occur in a case where there is no contact from theuser 20 within a predetermined period to thecommunication terminal 22 of theuser 20. The detailingpart 540 may transmit the message a plurality of times. In the case where the contact from theuser 20 is not confirmed within the above-described period, thedetailed part 540 may perform settlement processing of the default money. For example, thecalculation unit 540 transmits a request for requesting the start of an electronic settlement process on the account of theuser 20 to a server that provides an arbitrary electronic settlement service.

Fig. 6 schematically shows an example of the internal structure of thevehicle management unit 270. In the present embodiment, thevehicle management unit 270 includes a vehicleinformation acquisition unit 620, ademand prediction unit 630, areturn determination unit 640, and avehicle allocation unit 650.

In the present embodiment, the vehicleinformation acquisition unit 620 acquires information related to the operation of each of the plurality ofvehicles 120 managed by thedistribution system 100. For example, the vehicleinformation acquisition unit 620 acquires, from each of the plurality ofvehicles 120, information associating the identification information of the vehicle, information indicating the time of day, and information indicating the position of the vehicle at the time of day. The vehicleinformation acquisition unit 620 may store information acquired by the vehicleinformation acquisition unit 620 from each vehicle in the vehicleinformation storage unit 450.

In the present embodiment, thedemand predicting unit 630 predicts the demand for the accessories in the delivery area. Thedemand forecasting section 630 may extract one or more demand regions in the distribution area, in which demands regarding (i) fitting or purchase of an article by theuser 20, or (ii) change or addition of an article assembled or carried by theuser 20 are expected. Thedemand predicting unit 630 may determine whether or not the degree of demand exceeds a predetermined degree for at least a part of one or more points disposed in the delivery area. The details of thedemand predicting unit 630 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, thereturn determination unit 640 determines whether or not to return thevehicle 120 to thedistribution center 130 for each of the plurality ofvehicles 120 managed by thedistribution system 100. For example, thereturn determination unit 640 extracts thevehicle 120 that matches the specific condition from the plurality ofvehicles 120. Thereturn determination unit 640 determines to return the extractedvehicle 120 to thedistribution center 130. The specific condition may be a condition related to a utilization condition of the vehicle or the article of apparel.

In one embodiment, thereturn determination unit 640 outputs the extracted identification information of thevehicle 120 and information indicating that the next destination of the vehicle is thedistribution center 130 to thevehicle allocation unit 650. In another embodiment, thereturn determination unit 640 transmits information indicating that thevehicle 120 or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle to be extracted should be returned to thedistribution center 130. Thus, thereturn determination unit 640 can move each of the plurality ofvehicles 120 to thedistribution center 130 at an appropriate timing according to the situation of the vehicle.

More specifically, thereturn determination unit 640 analyzes the usage status of one or more accessories mounted on each of the plurality ofvehicles 120. For example, thereturn determining unit 640 refers to the inventoryinformation storage unit 440, and determines, for each of the plurality ofvehicles 120, at least one of (i) whether the number of unused articles of apparel loaded on the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined first value, and (ii) whether the ratio of unused articles of apparel to one or more articles of apparel loaded on the vehicle is smaller than a predetermined second value. Thereturn determination unit 640 extracts thevehicle 120 whose determination result satisfies the predetermined condition as thevehicle 120 to be returned to thedistribution center 130. The predetermined conditions include a condition that the number of unused articles of apparel is smaller than a first value, a condition that the ratio of unused articles of apparel is smaller than a second value, and the like.

Thereturn determination unit 640 may execute the above determination process for a specific type of apparel. Thereturn determination unit 640 may extract thevehicle 120 having the determination result regarding the specific type of clothing article satisfying the predetermined condition as thevehicle 120 to be returned to thedistribution center 130.

Thereturn determination unit 640 may execute the above determination process for each type of apparel. In this case, thereturn determination unit 640 may extract thevehicle 120 in which the determination result regarding at least one type of clothing satisfies the predetermined condition as thevehicle 120 to be returned to thedistribution center 130.

Further, in the case where a suspicious object is detected inside thevehicle 120 during the service period that theuser 20 provides using thedistribution system 100, theuser 20 may forget to put the items held by theuser 20 in the vehicle. Then, in a case where the exit or departure of theuser 20 from thevehicle 120 is detected before the suspicious object is not detected after the suspicious object is detected, thevehicle 120 outputs a message for prompting theuser 20 to confirm. Thedistribution system 100 may transmit the message to thecommunication terminal 22 of theuser 20.

When the suspicious object is detected even after the predetermined period has elapsed after the notification of the message, thereturn determination unit 640 may determine to return thevehicle 120 in which the suspicious object is detected to thedistribution center 130. Thereturn determination unit 640 may transmit a message indicating that the suspicious object is stored in thedistribution center 130 to thecommunication terminal 22 of theuser 20.

In the present embodiment, thevehicle distribution unit 650 manages the operation of thevehicle 120. In one embodiment, thevehicle provisioning section 650 manages the operation of each of the one ormore vehicles 120 based on a distribution request from theuser 20. In other embodiments, thevehicle allocation section 650 manages the operation of each of the one ormore vehicles 120 based on the prediction result of thedemand prediction section 630. Further, in another embodiment, theallocation unit 650 manages the operation of each of the one ormore vehicles 120 based on the determination result of thereturn determination unit 640. Details of thevehicle matching unit 650 will be described later.

Thedemand predicting unit 630 may be an example of the area extracting unit and the demand determining unit. Thedistribution section 650 may be an example of an operation management section and a distribution section.

Fig. 7 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of thedemand forecasting unit 630. In the present embodiment, thedemand prediction unit 630 includes a deliveryevent detection unit 720, a demandmap generation unit 740, and a vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760. In the present embodiment, the deliveryevent detection unit 720 includes a deliveryrequest analysis unit 730, a userinformation analysis unit 732, a regionalinformation analysis unit 734, a WEBinformation analysis unit 736, and a regionalimage analysis unit 738.

In the present embodiment, thedelivery event detector 720 detects an event (sometimes referred to as a delivery event) associated with the delivery of the article of apparel. For example, the distributionevent detecting unit 720 detects an event that causes a demand related to (i) fitting or purchase of an article of apparel by theuser 20, or (ii) change or addition of an article of apparel assembled or carried by theuser 20.

The deliveryevent detection unit 720 determines the degree of the demand based on the detection result of the delivery event. The degree of demand can be shown either by a continuous number or in steps. The deliveryevent detection unit 720 may output information indicating the position of the point at which the delivery event is detected and information indicating the degree of demand at the point to the demandmap generation unit 740 in association with each other. The deliveryevent detection unit 720 may output the information to the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760.

The deliveryevent detecting section 720 may extract a place where the degree of demand exceeds a predetermined degree as one of the demand areas. The deliveryevent detecting unit 720 may output information indicating the position of the demand area to the demandmap generating unit 740. The deliveryevent detection unit 720 may output the information to the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760.

In the present embodiment, the deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 obtains the delivery request from theuser 20 received by the deliveryrequest reception unit 220. The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 analyzes the delivery request, and determines the degree of the demand based on the analysis result.

For example, when the deliveryrequest receiving unit 220 receives a delivery request, the deliveryrequest analyzing unit 730 determines that the degree of demand at a specific point indicated by the delivery request exceeds a predetermined degree. The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may extract a specific point indicated by the delivery request as the demand area.

The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 determines that the degree of demand at the specific point indicated by the delivery request exceeds a predetermined degree at the delivery desired time or the delivery scheduled time associated with the delivery request. The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 extracts the specific point indicated by the delivery request as the demand area at the delivery desired time or the scheduled delivery time associated with the delivery request.

The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may calculate the number of delivery requests or the reception frequency of the delivery requests for each of the plurality of areas set in the delivery area, based on the point indicated by each delivery request, for the plurality of delivery requests received by the deliveryrequest reception unit 220. The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may extract an area in which the number or the reception frequency of the delivery requests satisfies a predetermined criterion as a demand area. The distributionrequest analysis unit 730 may calculate the number of distribution requests or the reception frequency of the distribution requests for each of the plurality of areas set in the distribution area, based on the point and time indicated by each distribution request, for each of the plurality of distribution requests received by the distributionrequest reception unit 220, for each of the plurality of time zones divided by an arbitrary reference. Thus, the deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 can extract the required area for each time zone.

The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may output (i) information indicating the position of the demand area, (ii) information indicating the position of the demand area, and (iii) information indicating the delivery desired time or the delivery scheduled time to the demandmap generation unit 740. The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may output the information to the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760.

The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may analyze the delivery type information included in the delivery request and identify the type of the article of apparel to be delivered. As the type of the apparel, the attribute of the apparel, the size of the apparel, and the like are exemplified. The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may output information on the type of the article to be delivered to thevehicle distribution unit 650.

Thus, for example, the operation of thevehicle 120 can be managed based on the attribute of the apparel indicated by the delivery type information. Further, the operation of thevehicle 120 can be managed based on the position indicated by the delivery request and the attribute of the article of apparel indicated by the delivery type information.

In the present embodiment, the userinformation analysis unit 732 acquires information indicating the schedule of theuser 20 by referring to the userinformation storage unit 420. The userinformation analysis unit 732 may determine that the degree of demand at the position indicated by the information indicating the schedule exceeds a predetermined degree at the initial stage or the final stage of the time or the period indicated by the information. The userinformation analysis unit 732 may extract a position indicated by the scheduling information as the required area.

The userinformation analysis unit 732 may output, to the demandmap generation unit 740, (i) information indicating the position of the demand area, (ii) information indicating the position of the demand area, and (iii) information indicating the initial stage or the final stage of the time or the period indicated by the scheduling information. The deliveryevent detection unit 720 may output the information to the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760.

The userinformation analysis unit 732 may analyze information indicating the action of theuser 20 included in the information indicating the schedule of theuser 20, and determine the type of the clothing article to be delivered. Specifically, the userinformation analysis unit 732 determines the attribute of the apparel whose demand is expected based on the action of theuser 20. The userinformation analysis unit 732 may output information on the type of the article to be delivered to thevehicle distribution unit 650.

Thus, for example, the operation ofvehicle 120 can be managed based on the attribute of the apparel determined by userinformation analysis unit 732. Further, the operation ofvehicle 120 can be managed based on the position ofuser 20 at the time or during the period indicated by the schedule and the attribute of the clothing items determined by userinformation analysis unit 732.

In the present embodiment, the areainformation analysis unit 734 refers to the areainformation storage unit 430 to acquire information regarding each of one ormore facilities 30 disposed in the distribution area. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may analyze information about each facility and determine the degree of demand for the location of each facility. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may analyze the information about each facility and determine the degree of demand for the position of each facility at a specific time or during a specific period.

Specifically, the areainformation analysis unit 734 refers to the areainformation storage unit 430, and acquires information indicating the position of each facility and information indicating the time zone in which each facility is used. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may determine that the degree of demand in each facility exceeds a predetermined degree in the time zone in which the facility is used. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may extract, as the demand area, the location of thefacility 30 determined to be demanded to a degree exceeding a predetermined degree.

The areainformation analysis unit 734 may output (i) information showing the position of the demand area, or (ii) information showing the position of the demand area, and information showing a time zone in which thefacility 30 disposed in the demand area is used, to the demandmap generation unit 740. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may output the information to the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760.

The areainformation analysis unit 734 may determine the type of clothing items to be distributed based on the type of thefacilities 30 determined to be in need to exceed a predetermined level. For example, the areainformation analysis unit 734 refers to a database in which the type of the facility and the information showing the attribute of the article of apparel of the user of the facility are stored in association with each other, and extracts the information showing the attribute of the article of apparel corresponding to thefacility 30. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may output the extracted information to thevehicle configuration unit 650 as the type of the article to be distributed.

When the areainformation storage unit 430 stores information showing the attribute of the clothing of the user of each facility, the areainformation analysis unit 734 refers to the areainformation storage unit 430 to acquire information showing the attribute of the clothing of the user of thefacility 30 determined to be in need to exceed the predetermined level. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may output the acquired information to thevehicle configuration unit 650 as the type of the article to be distributed.

Thus, for example, the operation of thevehicle 120 can be managed based on the attribute of the apparel determined by the areainformation analysis unit 734. Further, the operation of thevehicle 120 can be managed based on the positions of at least some of the points in the delivery area and the attributes of the accessories determined by the areainformation analyzing unit 734.

In the present embodiment, the WEBinformation analysis unit 736 analyzes various information present on the WEB and extracts one or more demand areas. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may analyze the information acquired by the WEBinformation acquisition unit 340 and extract one or more required regions. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may analyze information corresponding to information indicating a time or a period and information indicating a location or a region, and extract one or more required regions. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may analyze at least one of weather information, news information, and information on the SNS to extract one or more demand regions.

For example, the WEBinformation analysis unit 736 compares the weather at the current time with the weather at a specific other time for each location or each area in the delivery area. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may determine that the degree of demand for the clothing item exceeds the predetermined degree in a position where the degree of change in weather is greater than the predetermined degree. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may extract a position determined to be in need to exceed a predetermined level as a need area.

For example, the WEBinformation analysis unit 736 analyzes news information or information on the SNS and detects that a predetermined type of event has occurred or a predetermined type of event is about to occur. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 identifies the occurrence location or area of the event. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may specify the type of the event, the time or period of occurrence of the event, and the location or area of occurrence of the event. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may extract the occurrence location or area of the event as a demand area.

The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may output (i) information indicating the position of the demand area, or (ii) information indicating the position of the demand area, and information indicating a time zone in which thefacility 30 disposed in the demand area is used, to the demandmap generation unit 740. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may output the above information to the vehicle allocationregion determination unit 760. This enables the operation ofvehicle 120 to be managed based on the analysis result of WEBinformation analysis unit 736.

In the present embodiment, the areaimage analysis unit 738 acquires the image data acquired by the imagedata acquisition unit 350 from the imagedata acquisition unit 350. The areaimage analysis unit 738 analyzes the image data to detect a group of people. The areaimage analysis unit 738 may determine that the degree of the demand in the location where the detected collective is detected exceeds a predetermined degree when the size of the detected collective exceeds a predetermined size. The areaimage analysis unit 738 may determine that the degree of demand in the location where the detected group is detected exceeds the predetermined degree when the degree of matching of the attributes of the articles of apparel of each person constituting the detected group exceeds the predetermined degree. Further, the regionimage analysis section 738 may extract a position determined to be required to a degree exceeding a predetermined degree as a required region.

The areaimage analysis unit 738 may output to the demand map generation unit 740 (i) information indicating the position of the demand area, (ii) information indicating the position of the demand area, and (iii) information indicating the time zone in which thefacility 30 disposed in the demand area is used. The areaimage analysis unit 738 may output the information to the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760.

The areaimage analysis unit 738 may analyze the image data to determine the type of the article to be distributed. For example, the areaimage analysis unit 738 may analyze the image data to determine the attribute of the apparel item for each of the plurality of persons constituting the group. The areaimage analysis unit 738 may determine the type of the collective apparel item based on the analysis result. As the type of the apparel, the attribute of the apparel, the size of the apparel, and the like are exemplified. The areaimage analysis unit 738 may determine the type of the collective article as the type of article to be distributed. The areaimage analysis unit 738 may output information indicating the type of the article to be delivered to thevehicle distribution unit 650.

Thus, for example, the operation of thevehicle 120 can be managed based on the attribute of the clothing article determined by the areaimage analysis unit 738. Further, the operation of thevehicle 120 can be managed based on the position where the collective spot is detected and the attribute of the apparel determined by the areaimage analysis unit 738.

In the present embodiment, the demandmap generation unit 740 generates a demand map in the delivery area based on the information output by the deliveryevent detection unit 720. The demandmap generation unit 740 may generate the demand map based on an actual result of the past demand. The demandmap generation unit 740 may generate the demand map based on the information output from the deliveryevent detection unit 720 and the actual result of the past demand. The demandmap generation unit 740 may generate the demand map for each attribute of the clothing article. The demandmap generation unit 740 may generate the demand map at the current time or may generate the demand map at a specific time or in a specific period.

The demand map may be information that corresponds information showing a location within the distribution area to information showing a degree of demand for the article of apparel in the location. The demand map may be information that associates information showing attributes of the article of apparel, information showing a location within the distribution area, and information showing a degree of demand for the article of apparel in the location. The demand map may be information that associates information showing a location within the distribution area, information showing the degree of demand for the apparel items at the location, and information showing the content of the demand.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760 determines the positions or areas for allocating the plurality ofvehicles 120 based on the information output by the distributionevent detection unit 720. For example, the vehicle allocationregion determination unit 760 determines to allocate thevehicle 120 in each of the one or more demand regions extracted by the deliveryevent detection unit 720. The vehicle allocationregion determining unit 760 may determine that thevehicle 120 is to be allocated in a region where the degree of demand is large, among the one or more demand regions extracted by the deliveryevent detecting unit 720. The vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760 may determine the position or area where the plurality ofvehicles 120 are allocated based on the information output by the deliveryevent detection unit 720 and the actual result of the past demand.

The operator of thedelivery management server 110 can correct the car-allocation plan determined by the car-allocation-area determining unit 760. The vehicle allocation plan may be information in which (i) information indicating a time or a time zone, (ii) information indicating a location or a region, and (iii) information indicating the number ofvehicles 120 allocated at the location or the region at the time or the time zone are associated with each other. The operator of thedelivery management server 110 corrects the vehicle allocation plan determined by the vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760 based on, for example, the demand map generated by the demandmap generation unit 740. The operator of thedelivery management server 110 may input a correction instruction regarding correction of the distribution plan to thedelivery management server 110. When the correction instruction from the operator is input, the vehicle allocationregion determining unit 760 may correct the vehicle allocation plan based on the correction instruction.

The deliveryevent detecting unit 720 may be an example of the demand determining unit. The deliveryrequest analysis unit 730 may be an example of a request reception unit and a demand determination unit. The userinformation analysis unit 732 may be an example of a user information acquisition unit, a demand determination unit, and a first demand type determination unit. The areainformation analysis unit 734 may be an example of a facility information acquisition unit, a demand determination unit, and a second demand type determination unit. The WEBinformation analysis unit 736 may be an example of the demand determination unit. The areaimage analysis unit 738 may be an example of an image acquisition unit, a collective detection unit, a demand determination unit, and a third demand type determination unit. The vehicle allocationarea determination unit 760 may be an example of the demand determination unit and the area extraction unit.

Fig. 8 schematically shows an example of thedemand map 800. In the present embodiment, thedemand map 800 shows the position of thedemand region 830 extracted inside thedelivery region 810. In the present embodiment, thedistribution area 810 is divided into a plurality ofunit areas 820. In the present embodiment, thedemand map 800 shows the positions of theparking spaces 40 provided in each of the plurality ofunit areas 820.

[ overview of the vehicle distribution unit 650 ]

Fig. 9 schematically shows an example of the internal structure of thevehicle mounting portion 650. In the present embodiment, theallocation unit 650 includes anallocation determination unit 920 and a destinationinformation transmission unit 930.

In the present embodiment, the vehicleallocation determination unit 920 determines one ormore vehicles 120 to be placed in one or more demand areas determined by the deliveryevent detection unit 720, for each of the one or more demand areas. For example, theallocation determination unit 920 refers to the inventoryinformation storage unit 440, and determines one ormore vehicles 120, which are allocated to each of the one or more demand areas, among the plurality ofvehicles 120, based on the attribute of the apparel items for which demand is expected in each of the one or more demand areas determined by the deliveryevent detection unit 720.

In one embodiment, the articles of apparel loaded in aparticular vehicle 120 are selected for aparticular user 20. On the other hand, in other embodiments, the apparel loaded in aparticular vehicle 120 may be determined in conjunction with a business plan. The apparel loaded in aparticular vehicle 120 may be determined based on the ideas or proposals of a particular designer. A single brand of apparel may be carried in aparticular vehicle 120. Multiple brands of apparel may be loaded in aparticular vehicle 120. Articles of apparel having particular attributes may be loaded in aparticular vehicle 120. For example, only certain types of apparel may be loaded in aparticular vehicle 120, or only certain systems of apparel may be loaded. Further, articles of apparel of a particular size may be loaded in aparticular vehicle 120. Accordingly, theallocation determination unit 920 can plan allocation in consideration of the attributes of the accessories mounted on each vehicle, thereby improving the utilization rate of thevehicle 120.

Theallocation determination unit 920 may determine the allocation of the one ormore vehicles 120 such that a larger number of accessories than the number required for the change or addition are allocated to each of the one or more demand regions. Theallocation determination unit 920 may determine one ormore vehicles 120 to be allocated to each of the one or more demand regions such that the number of articles corresponding to the demand for women's articles is greater than the number of articles corresponding to the demand for men's articles. The vehicleallocation decision section 920 may decide the number ofvehicles 120 allocated to a specific demand region based on the number or ratio of women present in the specific demand region.

The matchingdetermination unit 920 may determine the number ofvehicles 120 allocated to the matching request or the number of accessories allocated to the matching request based on the gender of theuser 20 who has transmitted the matching request. The number ofvehicles 120 assigned in the case where theuser 20 who has transmitted the vehicle matching request is female may be larger than the number of vehicles assigned in the case where theuser 20 who has transmitted the vehicle matching request is male. The number of articles of apparel assigned in the case where theuser 20 who sent the pairing request is a female may be greater than the number of articles of apparel assigned in the case where theuser 20 who sent the pairing request is a male.

Theallocation determination unit 920 may determine the number ofvehicles 120 allocated to the allocation request or the number of accessories allocated to the allocation request based on the occupation or position of theuser 20 who has transmitted the allocation request. The number of vehicles ofvehicle 120 assigned in the case where the occupation or position ofuser 20 who sent the vehicle allocation request satisfies the predetermined condition may be greater than the number of vehicles assigned in the case where the occupation or position ofuser 20 who sent the vehicle allocation request does not satisfy the above condition. The number of accessories allocated in the case where the occupation or position of theuser 20 who sent the allocation request satisfies the predetermined condition may be greater than the number of accessories allocated in the case where the occupation or position of theuser 20 who sent the allocation request does not satisfy the above condition. As the predetermined condition, a condition that the kind of job is a specific kind, and the like are exemplified.

Theallocation determination unit 920 may determine the arrangement of the plurality ofvehicles 120 such that anothervehicle 120 having a different attribute at least in part of the attributes of the articles of apparel loaded is disposed in the distribution area of thespecific vehicle 120. Theallocation determination unit 920 may output the determination result to the destinationinformation transmission unit 930. This can improve the utilization rate of the plurality ofvehicles 120.

In the present embodiment, thedestination information transmitter 930 manages the operations of the plurality ofvehicles 120 based on the determination result of the vehicleallocation determination unit 920. In one embodiment, thedestination information transmitter 930 transmits information indicating the destination of the vehicle, information indicating the scheduled delivery time, and identification information of theuser 20 to thevehicle 120 or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle, which is allocated by theallocation determination unit 920 in response to the specific delivery request. In another embodiment, thedestination information transmitter 930 transmits, to the vehicleallocation determination unit 920, information indicating the destination of the vehicle and information indicating the scheduled arrival time, to which thevehicle 120 waiting in the specific demand area or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle is allocated.

Thedestination information transmitter 930 may manage the operations of the plurality ofvehicles 120 based on the determination result of thereturn determination unit 640. Thedestination information transmitter 930 transmits a return command to thevehicle 120 determined by thereturn determination unit 640 to be returned to thedistribution center 130 or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle. The return command may contain information showing the deadline or target time of the return.

[ outline of the vehicle matching process in the vehicle matching unit 650 ]

Thevehicle allocation unit 650 determines one ormore vehicles 120 to be allocated in a position or area (sometimes referred to as a vehicle allocation target area) where a demand is expected at a first time or period (sometimes referred to as a first time), for example, in the following order. In addition, the order of the respective steps may be changed to the extent that the technical contradiction does not occur.

According to the present embodiment, first, theallocation determination unit 920 extracts thevehicle 120 loaded with the clothing items (i.e., one) whose demand is expected in the first time from theallocable vehicles 120. Next, theallocation determination unit 920 ranks the extractedvehicles 120 based on at least one of the load amount of the apparel for which demand is expected in the first time and the number of categories of the apparel. Theallocation determination unit 920 determines thevehicle 120 with a rank higher than the predetermined rank as a candidate for thevehicle 120 to be allocated in the allocation target area.

Next, theallocation determination unit 920 extracts avehicle 120 that can reach the allocation target area within a predetermined period from among thevehicles 120 selected as the candidates. Theallocation determination unit 920 determines one of the extractedvehicles 120 as a first candidate. For example, theallocation determination unit 920 determines, as the first candidate, thevehicle 120 with the highest ranking or thevehicle 120 with the earliest arrival schedule time at which the vehicle arrives in the allocation target area, among the extractedvehicles 120. When the estimated value of the length of the period during which the demand is expected is smaller than the predetermined value, theallocation determination unit 920 determines the highest-rankedvehicle 120 among the extractedvehicles 120 as the first candidate.

Further, theallocation determination unit 920 may assign a score to each of the extractedvehicles 120 based on at least one of the load amount of the apparel for which demand is expected in the first time and the number of types of the apparel, and the arrival of the predetermined time. Theallocation determination unit 920 may determine thevehicle 120 that is the first candidate based on the score. For example, theallocation determination unit 920 may determine thevehicle 120 to which the top rank score is given as the first candidate. Theallocation determination unit 920 may determine thevehicle 120 that is the first candidate from among the plurality ofvehicles 120 to which the score better than the predetermined reference is given.

In one embodiment, thepairing decision unit 920 decides, based on the actual result of the past demand for the pairing target area, the attribute of the article of apparel in which the demand is expected and which is different from the article of apparel for which the demand is expected in the first time. Then, theallocation determination unit 920 ranks the plurality ofvehicles 120 based on at least one of the loading amount of the apparel having the newly determined attribute and the number of types of the apparel. Theallocation determination unit 920 determines the highest rankedvehicle 120 as the first candidate.

In another embodiment, theallocation determination unit 920 determines thevehicle 120 that is the first candidate based on the demand of the allocation target area at the time when the predetermined period has elapsed from the end of the first time (which may be referred to as a second time). For example, theallocation decision 920 decides attributes of the article of apparel for which the demand is expected in the second time and which are different from the article of apparel for which the demand is expected in the first time.

Then, theallocation determination unit 920 ranks the plurality ofvehicles 120 based on at least one of the loading amount of the apparel having the newly determined attribute and the number of types of the apparel. Theallocation determination unit 920 determines the highest rankedvehicle 120 as the first candidate. For example, in a case where a demand for high-heeled shoes is expected in a first time and demands for high-heeled shoes and sports shoes are expected in a second time 2 hours after the first time, theallocation determination unit 920 determines avehicle 120 with a large amount of loaded sports shoes or avehicle 120 with many types of sports shoes as a first candidate.

When thevehicle 120 that can reach the vehicle allocation target area within the predetermined period is not extracted, the vehicleallocation determination unit 920 may extend the period and execute the extraction process again. The vehicleallocation determination unit 920 may repeat the above extraction process until thevehicle 120 satisfying the condition is extracted. In another embodiment, when thevehicle 120 that can reach the vehicle allocation target area within the predetermined period is not extracted, the vehicleallocation determination unit 920 may determine that the vehicle allocation cannot be performed for the request, and end the vehicle allocation process.

Next, theallocation determination unit 920 determines whether thevehicle 120 determined as the first candidate can meet the demand. When it is determined that the need is sufficiently met, thedestination information transmitter 930 may transmit information indicating the destination of the vehicle or the like to thevehicle 120 determined as the first candidate or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle, and end the vehicle matching process.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the response to the demand is insufficient, theallocation determination unit 920 determines the attribute and the amount of the insufficient accessories. For example, theallocation determination unit 920 first extracts one ormore vehicles 120 that can be allocated with insufficient accessories from thevehicles 120 selected as the candidates.

In the above extraction process, when avehicle 120 capable of delivering insufficient accessories is extracted, theallocation determination unit 920 determines one ormore vehicles 120 extracted in the extraction process and avehicle 120 determined as a first candidate as avehicle 120 to be allocated to the allocation target area. Then, thedestination information transmitter 930 transmits information indicating the destination of thevehicle 120 determined to be placed in the vehicle placement target area or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle, and ends the vehicle placement process.

On the other hand, when thevehicle 120 selected as the candidate does not include theappropriate vehicle 120, theallocation determination unit 920 may determine thevehicle 120 to which the insufficient accessories can be distributed, in the same order as the order for determining the first candidate. Then, thedestination information transmitter 930 transmits information indicating the destination of thevehicle 120 determined to be placed in the vehicle placement target area or a communication terminal (not shown) used by the driver of the vehicle, and ends the vehicle placement process.

Theallocation determination unit 920 may be an example of an operation management unit and an allocation unit. Thedestination information transmitter 930 may be an example of an operation manager.

Fig. 10 schematically shows an example of thevehicle 120. In the present embodiment, the details ofvehicle 120 will be described by taking a case wherevehicle 120 is an autonomous vehicle as an example. Note, however, that thevehicle 120 is not limited to the present embodiment. In other embodiments, thevehicle 120 may be moved by operation of the driver.

In the present embodiment, thevehicle 120 includes atrailer 1020 and acontainer 1040. In this embodiment, thetrailer 1020 carries acontainer 1040. Thetrailer 1020 has, for example, an autopilot function, and carries thecontainer 1040 to a destination.

In the present embodiment, adisplay space 1042 and a try-onspace 1044 are provided inside thecontainer 1040. In this embodiment, adisplay member 1052 for displaying the article ofapparel 50 is disposed in thedisplay space 1042. In the present embodiment, alocker 1054 for temporarily storing articles of clothing worn by theuser 20 is disposed in thefitting space 1044.

In this embodiment, one ormore surveillance cameras 1062, one or moreelectronic tag readers 1064, and one ormore load cells 1066 are disposed in thepresentation space 1042. A portion of the plurality ofelectronic tag readers 1064 and the plurality ofload cells 1066 may be disposed on thedisplay member 1052. Further, the plurality ofelectronic tag readers 1064 and a part of the plurality ofload cells 1066 may be disposed inside thefitting space 1044. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, themonitoring camera 1062 is not disposed in thefitting space 1044.

In the present embodiment, themonitoring camera 1062 photographs the inside of thepresentation space 1042. The image data of the image captured by themonitoring camera 1062 may be transmitted to thedelivery management server 110. The image may be a moving image or a still image.

In this embodiment, theelectronic tag reader 1064 detects the electronic tags present inside thecontainer 1040. As the electronic tag, an IC tag, an RFID tag, or the like is exemplified. For example, one or more electronic tags may be provided in each of a plurality of articles of apparel loaded invehicle 120. Theelectronic tag reader 1064 outputs information showing the detection result. Theelectronic tag reader 1064 may output information indicating the detection result in association with information indicating the detection time. The data output by theelectronic tag reader 1064 may be transmitted to thedistribution management server 110.

In this embodiment, theload cell 1066 measures the mass of theuser 20 as theuser 20 enters the interior of thepresentation space 1042. Theload cell 1066 measures the mass of theuser 20 as theuser 20 exits thedisplay space 1042. Theload cell 1066 outputs information showing the measurement result. Theload cell 1066 may output information indicating the measurement result in association with information indicating the measurement time. The data output by theload cell 1066 may be sent to thedispatch management server 110.

Fig. 11 shows an example of acomputer 3000 that can embody various aspects of the invention in whole or in part. Thedistribution system 100 or a portion thereof may be implemented by acomputer 3000. For example, thedelivery management server 110 is implemented by thecomputer 3000.

The program installed in thecomputer 3000 can cause thecomputer 3000 to function as or perform an operation associated with or one or more "parts" of a device of an embodiment of the present invention, and/or can cause thecomputer 3000 to perform a process or stages of a process of an embodiment of the present invention. Such programs may be executed by theCPU 3012 to cause thecomputer 3000 to perform specific operations associated with several or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described in this specification.

Thecomputer 3000 according to the present embodiment includes aCPU 3012, aRAM 3014, agraphics controller 3016, and adisplay device 3018, which are connected to each other through ahost controller 3010. Further, thecomputer 3000 includes an input/output unit such as acommunication interface 3022, ahard disk drive 3024, a DVD-ROM drive 3026, and an IC card drive, which are connected to thehost controller 3010 via the input/output controller 3020. Further, the computer includes a conventional input-output unit such as aROM 3030 and akeyboard 3042, which are connected to the input-output controller 3020 via an input-output chip 3040.

TheCPU 3012 operates in accordance with programs stored in theROM 3030 andRAM 3014, thereby controlling the respective units. Thegraphics controller 3016 obtains image data generated by theCPU 3012 from a frame buffer or the like provided in theRAM 3014 or itself, and displays the image data on thedisplay device 3018.

Thecommunication interface 3022 communicates with other electronic apparatuses via a network. Thehard disk drive 3024 stores programs and data used by theCPU 3012 in thecomputer 3000. The DVD-ROM drive 3026 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 3001 and supplies the programs or data to thehard disk drive 3024 via theRAM 3014. The IC card driver reads and/or writes programs and data from/to the IC card.

TheROM 3030 stores therein a boot program or the like executed by thecomputer 3000 at the time of validation, and/or a program depending on the hardware of thecomputer 3000. Further, the input-output chip 3040 may connect various input-output units to the input-output controller 3020 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, or the like.

The program is provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM 3001 or an IC card. The program is read from a computer-readable storage medium, installed on thehard disk drive 3024, theRAM 3014, or theROM 3030 as an example of the computer-readable storage medium, and executed by theCPU 3012. Information processing described in these programs is read into thecomputer 3000, and the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above are brought into cooperation. The apparatus or method may be constituted by realizing the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of thecomputer 3000.

For example, in the case where communication is performed between thecomputer 3000 and an external device, theCPU 3012 may execute a communication program loaded into theRAM 3014, and instruct communication processing to thecommunication interface 3022 based on processing described in the communication program. Thecommunication interface 3022 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as theRAM 3014, thehard disk drive 3024, the DVD-ROM 3001, or an IC card, transmits the read transmission data to a network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer area provided in the recording medium, or the like, under the control of theCPU 3012.

Further, theCPU 3012 can cause all or a necessary part of a file or a database stored in an external recording medium such as ahard disk drive 3024, a DVD-ROM drive 3026(DVD-ROM 3001), an IC card, or the like to be read into theRAM 3014, and perform various types of processing on data on theRAM 3014. TheCPU 3012 may then write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

Various types of information such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases may be stored in the recording medium and subjected to information processing. TheCPU 3012 can execute various types of processing including various types of operations, information processing, condition judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, retrieval/replacement of information, and the like, which are described anywhere in the present disclosure and specified by a sequence of commands of a program, with respect to data read from theRAM 3014, and write back the result to theRAM 3014. Further, theCPU 3012 can retrieve information in a file, a database, or the like within the recording medium. For example, in a case where a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in a recording medium, theCPU 3012 may retrieve entries that match a condition to which the attribute value of the first attribute is specified from among the plurality of entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby retrieve the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

The programs or software modules described above may be stored on thecomputer 3000 or in a computer-readable storage medium near thecomputer 3000. Further, a recording medium such as a hard disk or a RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the internet can be used as the computer-readable storage medium, whereby the above-described program is supplied to thecomputer 3000 via a network.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the above embodiments. In addition, the matters described with respect to the specific embodiment can be applied to other embodiments within a range not technically contradictory. Each component may have the same features as other components having the same names and different reference symbols. As is apparent from the description of the claims, the embodiments to which such changes and improvements are applied can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The execution order of the respective processes such as the work, the sequence, the steps, and the stages in the apparatus, the system, the program, and the method shown in the claims, the specification, and the drawings is not particularly explicitly indicated as "preceding", "leading", and the like, and further, it should be noted that the output of the preceding process can be implemented in an arbitrary order as long as it is not used in the following process. In the workflow in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if "first", "next", and the like are used for convenience of description, it does not mean that they must be executed in this order.

The present specification discloses an information processing system that manages a mobile body or an article mounted on the mobile body. Thedelivery system 100, thedelivery management server 110, theinventory management unit 260, and thevehicle management unit 270 may be an example of the information processing system. The present specification discloses a method for managing a mobile body or an article mounted on the mobile body. The present specification discloses a program for causing a computer to function as an information processing system for managing a mobile body or an article mounted on the mobile body. The present specification discloses a program for causing a computer to execute a method of managing a mobile body or an article mounted on the mobile body. The above-described program may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium.

Description of reference numerals

10 communication network, 20 users, 22 communication terminals, 30 facilities, 40 parking spaces, 50 accessories, 100 distribution system, 110 distribution management server, 120 vehicles, 130 logistics center, 132 in-out management server, 220 distribution request receiving part, 230 responding part, 240 information collecting part, 250 storing part, 260 inventory managing part, 270 vehicle managing part, 320 user information obtaining part, 330 area information obtaining part, 340WEB information obtaining part, 350 image data obtaining part, 420 user information storing part, 430 area information storing part, 440 inventory information storing part, 450 vehicle information storing part, 520 inventory information obtaining part, 522 in-vehicle image analyzing part, 524 sensor output analyzing part, 530 updating part, 540 detailed part, 620 vehicle information obtaining part, 630 demand predicting part, 640 return determining part, 650 distribution part, 720 distribution event detecting part, 730 distribution request analyzing part, 732 user information analysis section, 734 area information analysis section, 736WEB information analysis section, 738 area image analysis section, 740 request map generation section, 760 car allocation area determination section, 800 request map, 810 delivery area, 820 unit area, 830 request area, 920 car allocation determination section, 930 destination information transmission section, 1020 trailer, 1040 container, 1042 show space, 1044 try-on space, 1052 display member, 1054 locker, 1062 monitoring camera, 1064 electronic tag reader, 1066 force sensor, 3000 computer, 3001DVD-ROM, 3010 host controller, 3012CPU, 3014RAM, 3016 graphic controller, 3018 display device, 3020 input output controller, 3022 communication interface, 3024 hard disk drive, 3026DVD-ROM drive, 3030ROM, 3040 input output chip, 3042 keyboard.

Claims (18)

1. An information processing system for managing a moving object on which an article of apparel is mounted, the information processing system comprising:

an area extraction unit that extracts, from a distribution area where the mobile body can distribute the article of apparel, a demand area where demands relating to (i) fitting or purchase of the article by a user, or (ii) change or addition of an article to be attached or carried by a user are expected; and

an operation management unit that manages the operation of the mobile unit based on the position of the required area extracted by the area extraction unit and the content of the requirement.

2. The information processing system of claim 1,

the distribution system further includes a demand determination unit configured to determine whether or not a degree of the demand exceeds a predetermined degree for at least a part of one or more points disposed in the distribution area,

the region extraction unit extracts, as the demand region, a point at which the degree of demand determined by the demand determination unit exceeds a predetermined degree.

3. The information processing system of claim 2,

further comprising a user information acquisition unit for acquiring information showing the schedule of the user,

the information showing the scheduling of the user includes information showing a time or period and information showing a position of the user in the time or period,

the demand determination unit determines that the degree of the demand in the position indicated by the information acquired by the user information acquisition unit exceeds the predetermined degree at the time indicated by the information acquired by the user information acquisition unit or at the initial or final stage of the period.

4. The information processing system of claim 3,

the information showing the scheduling of the user further comprises information showing the user's actions in the time instant or period,

the information processing system further includes a first demand type determination unit that determines an attribute of an item of apparel for which the demand is expected based on the user's action,

the operation management unit manages the operation of the mobile unit based on (i) the position of the user at the time or during the period and (ii) the attribute of the apparel determined by the first demand type determination unit.

5. The information processing system according to any one of claim 2 to claim 4,

further comprising a facility information acquisition unit that acquires information showing a time zone in which facilities arranged in the at least one part of the points in the distribution area are used,

the demand determination unit determines that the degree of the demand at the at least one part of the points in the distribution area exceeds the predetermined degree in the time zone indicated by the information acquired by the facility information acquisition unit.

6. The information processing system of claim 5,

the facility information acquisition unit further acquires information showing a type of the facility disposed in the at least one part of the distribution area,

the information processing system further includes a second demand type determination unit that refers to a facility information storage unit that stores a type of a facility in association with attributes of articles of apparel of users of the facility, determines attributes of articles of apparel for which demand is expected in the facility arranged in the at least one part of the spots in the distribution area based on the type of the facility indicated by the information acquired by the facility information acquisition unit,

the operation management unit manages the operation of the mobile object based on (i) the position of the at least a part of the points in the distribution area and (ii) the attribute of the apparel item determined by the second demand type determination unit.

7. The information processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising:

an image acquisition unit that acquires image data of an image captured by an imaging device disposed in the distribution area; and

a collective detection unit that analyzes the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit to detect a collective of persons,

the demand determination section determines that the degree of the demand in the location where the collective is detected exceeds the predetermined degree, in a case where the collective detection section detects the collective.

8. The information processing system of claim 7,

further comprising a third demand type determination unit that analyzes the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit and determines an attribute of an item of apparel for each of the plurality of persons that constitute the collective detected by the collective detection unit,

the operation management unit manages the operation of the mobile unit based on (i) the position at which the collective spot is detected, and (ii) the attribute of the apparel item determined by the third demand type determination unit.

9. The information processing system according to any one of claim 1 to claim 8,

further comprising a request receiving unit for receiving a distribution request for distributing the article to a specific place from the communication terminal of the user,

the delivery request includes delivery category information showing attributes of the article of apparel that the user wishes to deliver,

the operation management unit manages the operation of the mobile body based on (i) the position of the specific point indicated by the delivery request and (ii) the attribute of the article of apparel indicated by the delivery type information.

10. The information processing system according to any one of claim 1 to claim 9,

the region extraction unit extracts the required region by analyzing at least one of weather information, news information, and information on the SNS.

11. The information processing system according to any one of claim 1 to claim 10,

the information processing system manages a plurality of the moving bodies,

each of the plurality of moving bodies carries a plurality of articles of apparel,

the operation management unit includes an allocation unit that refers to an article information storage unit that stores information indicating an attribute of each of a plurality of articles of apparel loaded on the mobile body, for each of the plurality of mobile bodies, and determines one or more mobile bodies allocated to the demand area among the plurality of mobile bodies, based on the attribute of the article of apparel for which the demand is expected in the demand area.

12. The information processing system of claim 11,

the allocation unit determines allocation of the one or more moving bodies such that a larger number of articles of apparel than the number required for change or addition is allocated to the demand area.

13. The information processing system according to claim 11 or claim 12,

the allocation unit determines the one or more moving objects to be allocated to the demand area such that the number of articles corresponding to the demand for women's articles is greater than the number of articles corresponding to the demand for men's articles.

14. The information processing system according to any one of claim 11 to claim 13,

the allocation unit determines the number of moving bodies allocated to a specific demand region based on the number or ratio of women present in the specific demand region.

15. The information processing system according to any one of claim 11 to claim 14,

the operation management unit manages the operations of the plurality of moving bodies such that another moving body having a different attribute at least in part of the attributes of the articles of apparel loaded thereon is disposed in the delivery area of the specific moving body.

16. The information processing system according to any one of claim 11 to claim 15,

the article information storage unit further stores, for each of the plurality of moving bodies, information showing a use history of each of the plurality of articles of apparel loaded on the moving body,

the operation management unit extracts a moving object, of the plurality of moving objects, for which the number or ratio of unused articles is smaller than a predetermined value, with reference to the article information storage unit,

the operation management unit determines to move the extracted movable body to a support center for performing maintenance or management of the plurality of movable bodies or the plurality of articles of apparel.

17. A program for causing a computer to function as the information processing system according to any one of claim 1 to claim 16.

18. An information processing method for managing a moving object on which an article of apparel is mounted, the information processing method comprising:

an area extraction step of extracting a demand area in which a demand relating to (i) fitting or purchase of an article by a user, or (ii) change or addition of an article assembled or carried by a user is anticipated, in a distribution area in which the mobile body can distribute the article; and

an operation management stage that manages operation of the mobile body based on the position of the required area extracted in the area extraction stage and the content of the requirement.

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