Patent Publication Number: US-2002013824-A1

Title: Home delivery system and home delivery method capable of efficiently delivering package

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to a home delivery system comprising a sender terminal unit, a receiver terminal unit, and a distribution center unit connected to the sender terminal unit and the receiver terminal unit through a network, and particularly relates to a home delivery system capable of contributing delivery of a package in high efficiency.  
       [0002] Conventionally, a package sent from a sender is delivered to a receiver as follows. The sender brings the package into a delivery agency and takes the predetermined procedure to the delivery agency for delivering the package. A delivery dealer collects the package from the delivery agency and sends the package to a delivery center covering a delivery district where the receiver lives. The package is delivered from the delivery center to the receiver.  
       [0003] However, a conventional home delivery system mentioned above has the problems as follows.  
       [0004] First, the sender must bring the package to the delivery agency and therefore is labored. Particularly, if the package is large and/or heavy, the sender is more labored.  
       [0005] Secondary, if the receiver is not home when the deliver dealer delivers the package to the receiver, the deliver dealer must visit the receiver again to hand the package to the receiver. Therefore, the deliver dealer is also labored and this work is inefficient as business.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a home delivery system capable of efficiently delivering a package.  
       [0007] The other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become clear as the description proceeds.  
       [0008] This invention is directed to a home delivery system comprising a sender terminal unit installed at a sender end requesting to send a package, a receiver terminal unit installed at a receiver end for to receive the package, and a distribution center unit installed at a distribution center collecting and delivering the package and connected to the sender terminal unit and the receiver terminal unit through a network. The distribution center unit receives from the sender terminal unit a request specification information for requesting to deliver the package, picks up from the request specification information a sender identity information of the sender end, and generates by referring to the sender identity information a collecting direction information for directing the distribution center to pick up the package. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0009]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a home delivery system according to a first embodiment of this invention;  
     [0010]FIG. 2 is a flow chart for illustrating the working of the home delivery system shown in FIG. 1;  
     [0011]FIG. 3 shows an example of a request specification information displayed on a display of the home delivery system, for illustrating the working of the home delivery system shown in FIG. 1;  
     [0012]FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a home delivery system according to a second embodiment of this invention; and  
     [0013]FIG. 5 is a flow chart for illustrating the working of the home delivery system shown in FIG. 4; 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0014] Now, preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.  
     [0015] First Embodiment  
     [0016] Referring to FIG. 1, a home delivery system according to a first embodiment of this invention comprises an A-user terminal unit  10  as a sender terminal unit, a B-user terminal unit  40  as a receiver terminal unit, and a distribution center unit  200  connected to the A-user terminal unit  10  and the B-user terminal unit  40  through Internet  100  as a network. The distribution center unit  200  includes a collect center unit  20  and a delivery center unit  30 .  
     [0017] The A-user terminal unit  10  is implemented by an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and installed at an A-user end as a sender end requesting to send a package. The A-user terminal unit  10  can access and display a service webpage putting up a delivery service information. The webpage is provided through the Internet  100  by the collect center unit  20  and/or the delivery center unit  30  of a delivery dealer. The delivery service information includes a menu or a user interface for inputting a request specification information by the A-user. For example, the request specification information includes a name, an outward size, and a weight of the package and an identity such as an address and/or a network address of the A-user (a sender). The request specification information is used for requesting by A-user terminal unit  10  to deliver the package and for identifying by the distribution center unit  200  as follows. Furthermore, the A-user terminal unit  10  can send the request specification information to the collect center unit  20  through the Internet  100 .  
     [0018] The collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30  are implemented by an information processing apparatus such as a workstation or a server and used by the delivery dealer, respectively.  
     [0019] The collect center unit  20  is installed at a collect center. The collect center unit  20  can receive from the A-user terminal unit  10  the request specification information and can generate by referring to the request specification information a package identity information of the package. Furthermore, the collect center unit  20  can send the package identity information to the delivery center unit  30  and the B-user terminal unit  40  through the Internet  100 . The package identity information is generated at every time when a deliver is requested and is used for identifying the sender, the package, and a receiver of the package.  
     [0020] Furthermore, the collect center unit  20  can generate a package information by adding to the package identity information an information for directing the delivery center to visit the B-user (a receiver) . The B-user lives in a district covered by the collect center. The collect center unit  20  can send the package information to the delivery center unit  30 .  
     [0021] Furthermore, the collect center unit  20  can send to the B-user terminal unit  40  by referring to an information of the B-user included in the package identity information a delivery information for asking by the A-user the desired date and time for receiving the package at the home of the B-user.  
     [0022] The B-user terminal unit  40  is implemented by the information processing apparatus such as the personal computer and installed at a B-user end as a receiver end receiving the package. The B-user terminal unit  40  can receive the delivery information sent from the collect center unit  20 .  
     [0023] Furthermore, the B-user terminal unit  40  can generate by referring to the delivery information a delivery direction information for directing by the B-user to deliver the package and can send to the delivery center unit  30  the delivery direction information through the Internet  100 .  
     [0024] The delivery center unit  30  is installed at a delivery center. The delivery center unit  30  can receive the package information sent from the collect center unit  20 .  
     [0025] Furthermore, the delivery center unit  30  can receive the delivery direction information sent from the B-user by the use of the B-user terminal unit  40 . The delivery direction information represents the desired date and time for receiving the package at the home of the B-user. The dealer of the delivery center delivery, by referring to the delivery direction information, the package temporarily received from the collect center to the B-user on the desired date and time directed by the B-user.  
     [0026] The delivery center unit  30  can send to the A-user terminal unit  10  and the collect center unit  20  a delivery finish information representing that the package has been delivered to the B-user. The delivery finish information is generated in the B-user terminal unit  40  by the input by the B-user. Therefore, the delivery finish information may be directly sent from the B-user terminal unit  40  to the A-user terminal unit  10  and the collect center unit  20 .  
     [0027] The Internet  100  in this invention may include another communication network such as a local area network (LAN) and/or a wide area network (WAN).  
     [0028] Next, the working of the home delivery system shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.  1  to  3 .  
     [0029] The collect center unit  20  discloses the service webpage. The A-user terminal unit  10  accesses to the service webpage by handling by the A-user as the sender of the package through the Internet  100  (Step A 1 ). When the collect center unit  20  is accessed by the A-user terminal unit  10 , the collect center unit  20  sends to the A-user terminal unit  10  the delivery service information menu for inputting by the A-user the request specification information (Step A 2 ).  
     [0030] The A-user terminal unit  10  displays on a display (not shown) thereof the delivery service information menu as shown in FIG. 3 (Step A 3 ). The A-user terminal unit  10  as the user interface receives inputting by the A-user items of the delivery service information menu (A 4 ).  
     [0031] Inputting the items is carried out as follows. Referring to FIG. 3, the A-user clicks by a mouse (not shown) a slot at a right-side of an item “Sender” on the delivery service information menu. The A-user inputs by a keyboard (not shown) his name at the slot. Next, the A-user clicks a slot at a right-side of an item “Address” and inputs his address at the slot. As like to steps mentioned above, the A-user inputs items regarding a net address, an article, a size, a weight, a delivery state. Herein, there are items “Room Temp. (Temperature)”, “Perishables”, and “Keep Frozen” as the item “Delivery State”. These three items are elements of a radio button. For example, if the A-user clicks the inside of a check slot at a left-side of the item “Room Temp.”, the check slot is marked with a symbol “.”.  
     [0032] Next, the A-user clicks slots at a right-side of an item “Requested Collect Date” and inputs at the slots the desired date and time when he requests the package to collect by the dealer from the distribution center unit  200 . Furthermore, the A-user inputs items regarding (a name of) a receiver, an address (of the receiver), and a net address (of the receiver). Lastly, the A-user clicks a button “Decision”.  
     [0033] When the button “Decision” is clicked, the A-user terminal unit  10  checks whether items necessary to be input at least (for example, the name, the address, and the net address of the sender, the article, the requested collect date, and the name, the address, and the net address of the receiver) are input or not. Furthermore, the checks whether the net address of the sender is correct in description or not. If the net address of the sender is incorrect, the A-user terminal unit  10  alerts to the A-user by displaying an alert where an incorrect part is on the display. The A-user corrects the incorrect part with referring to the alert displayed and clicks the button “Decision” again. The A-user terminal unit  10  checks again which the net address of the sender is correct or not. If the net address of the sender is correct, the A-user terminal unit  10  displays an information “OK” and so on (Step A 5  in FIG. 2). The A-user terminal unit  10  stores the items (an information) which have been input as mentioned above as the request specification information in a storage device thereof such as a hard disk.  
     [0034] When the A-user clicks a button “Order” on the delivery service information menu, the A-user terminal unit  10  sends to the collect center unit  20  the request specification information stored in the storage device through the Internet  100  (Step A 6 ).  
     [0035] The collect center unit  20  receives the request specification information from the A-user terminal unit  10 . The dealer who refers to a display of the collect center unit  20  visits the A-user on the desired date and time included in the request specification information in order to receive the package and a fee (Step A 7 ). The dealer checks and/or measures the article, the size, the weight, and the delivery state of the package. The dealer receives the package and the fee (Step A 8 ). The dealer takeouts the package to the collect center and the results checked and measured and collates the results with the request specification information received from the A-user terminal unit  10 . Consequently, if at least one item of the request specification information is entered or different from the results, the dealer inputs to the collect center unit  20  so that the item is entered or corrected. Thus, the collect center unit  20  generates a package identity information for specifying the sender, the package, and the receiver (Step A 9 ). The dealer distributes the package for the preparation of sending and sends the package to an applicable delivery center, with referring to the package identity information of the package (Step A 10 ). The collect center unit  20  sends a package information to the delivery center unit  30  and an asking information through the Internet  100  to the B-user terminal unit  40 , respectively (Step A 11 ). The package information is generated by the collect center unit  20  by further adding an information for directing the delivery center to deliver the package to the B-user to package identity information. The asking information used for asking the desired date and time for receiving the package at the home of the B-user.  
     [0036] When the delivery center unit  30  receives the package information (Step A 12 ), the delivery center unit  30  finishes distributing the package with referring to the package information before the delivery center receives another package from the collecting center.  
     [0037] On the other hand, the B-user terminal unit  40  receives the asking information from the collect center unit  20  (Step A 13 ). The B-user inquires when he stays at his home and inputs to the B-user terminal unit  40  a receiving date information representing the desired date and time when he requests to receive the package. The B-user terminal unit  40  sends the receiving date information to the delivery center unit  30  through the Internet  100  (Step A 14 ). The delivery center unit  30  receives the receiving date information (Step A 15 ). The dealer of the delivery center distributes the package received from the collect center unit  20  with referring to the receiving date information displayed by the delivery center unit  30 . As like to this, the dealer distributes the other packages received from the collect center unit  20  with referring to the other receiving date informations so that the packages are specified into each region where each of the packages will be delivered (Step A 16 ). Next, the dealer of the delivery center delivers the package to the B-user on the desired date and time appointed by the B-user (Step A 17 ). Thus, the B-user receives the package (Step A 18 ).  
     [0038] The dealer of the delivery center unit  30  confirms that the B-user receives the package. The dealer sends, with the use of the B-user terminal unit  40  or the delivery center unit  30 , to the A-user terminal unit  10  and the collect center unit  20  a delivery finish information (Step A 19 ). The delivery finish information represents that the package has been delivered to the B-user. Thus, the A-user and the dealer of the collect center know that the package has been delivered to the B-user.  
     [0039] The receiving date information from the B-user terminal unit  40  and the delivery finish information from the B-user terminal unit  40  or the delivery center unit  30  may be sent to the other party by an E-mail and so on, respectively.  
     [0040] Second Embodiment  
     [0041] Next, a home delivery system according to a second embodiment of this invention will be described with referring to FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, numerals of parts like to that in FIG. 1 are provided with the same numerals of the parts in FIG. 1 and the parts will be omitted in description.  
     [0042] The collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30  are connected to each other through a wide area network (WAN)  50  and can transmit a variety of informations to each other.  
     [0043] After receiving the request specification information from the A-user terminal unit  10 , the collect center unit  20  can generate the package identity information and can send the package identity information to the deliver center unit  30  through the WAN  50  while not sends to the B-user terminal unit  40 .  
     [0044] The collect center unit  20  can receive the information. After the dealer of the collect center visits and collects the package from the A-user, the collect center unit  20  can generate the package identity information. The collect center unit  20  can send the package identity information to the delivery center unit  30  through the WAN  50 .  
     [0045] After receiving the package identity information from the collect center unit  20  through the WAN  50 , the delivery center unit  30  can send, with referring to the package identity information, the asking information to the B-user terminal unit  40  through the WAN  50 .  
     [0046] Next, the working of the home delivery system shown in FIG. 4 will be described with referring to FIG. 5.  
     [0047] After sending the request specification information from the A-user by the A-user terminal unit  10  through the Internet  100 , the collect center unit  20  receives the request specification information. The dealer of the collect center visits the A-user and collects the package with referring to the request specification. The collect center unit  20  generates the package identity information. The dealer of the collect center distributes the packages and sends the package to the delivery center. Steps mentioned above are Steps B 1  to B 10  in FIG. 5. Steps B 1  to B 10  are performed as like to Steps A 1  to A 10  of the first embodiment.  
     [0048] The collect center unit  20  generates the package information and sends the delivery center unit  30  through the WAN  50  (Step B 11 ). The delivery center unit  30  receives the package information (Step B 12 ). The delivery center unit  30  sends the asking information to the B-user terminal unit  40  through the Internet  100  with referring to the package information (Step B 13 ). Steps B 14  to B 19  subsequent to Step B 13  are worked as like to Steps A 13  to A 18  of the first embodiment.  
     [0049] The B-user confirms the package. The B-user terminal unit  40  sends to the A-user terminal unit  10  a delivery finish information (Step B 20 ). The delivery finish information represents that the package has been delivered to the B-user.  
     [0050] The receiving date information and the delivery finish information from the B-user terminal unit  40  may be sent to the other party by an E-mail and so on.  
     [0051] Although the collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30  are different as apparatuses from each other in the embodiments, the collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30  may be integrated into a single apparatus. In this state, the function of the delivery center unit  30  may be integrated into the collect center unit  20  while the function of the collect center unit  20  may be integrated into the delivery center unit  30 .  
     [0052] The collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30  of the second embodiment may serve as units of a C-dealer and a D-dealer, respectively. In this state, an inter-business network is used instead of the WAN  50 .  
     [0053] Furthermore, a program deciphered by a computer system may be provided in order to perform as the collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30 . The program may be recorded in a recording medium. The computer system can perform the control by the collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30  based on the program. The computer system implies a software such as an operating system (OS) and a hardware such as a peripheral apparatus.  
     [0054] If the computer system uses the Internet, the computer system further implies a server for providing and/or displaying a webpage.  
     [0055] For example, the recording medium is a portable storage device such as a flexible disk, a magnetic optical (MO) disk, a read only memory (ROM), a compact disc (CD)-ROM, and a hard disk or a storage device installed in the computer system such as a hard disk drive. Furthermore, the recording medium may be a server capable of receiving the program through a network such as the Internet and a communication line such as a telephone line or memorizing means capable of temporarily memorizing the program such as a random access memory (RAM) in a computer system as a client system.  
     [0056] Furthermore, the program may be transmitted individually or with a signal carrier from the computer system storing the program therein through a transmitting medium to the other computer system. Herein, the transmitting medium is, for example, the network such as the Internet and the communication line such as the telephone line.  
     [0057] The program may perform at least one part of the function of the collect center unit  20  and the delivery center unit  30 . Furthermore, the program may be a difference file. Namely, the program may perform the function mentioned above in cooperation with the original program of the computer system such as the OS.  
     [0058] While this invention has thus far been described in conjunction with embodiments thereof, it will readily be possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners.