US 12,354,450 B2
Delivery support device, system, and delivery support method
Yoshikazu Jikuhara, Miyoshi (JP); Jun Hioki, Nagakute (JP); Kaori Yamada, Nagakute (JP); Maiko Watanabe, Nagoya (JP); Yuki Kuwayama, Yokohama (JP); Shunya Maruta, Tokyo (JP); and Yo Okumura, Chofu (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi-Ken (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi-ken (JP)
Filed on Jul. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/346,270.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-108608 (JP), filed on Jul. 5, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0013639 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G08B 13/02 (2006.01)
CPC G08B 13/02 (2013.01) 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A delivery support device that supports delivery of an article, the delivery support device comprising a control unit that
acquires first weight data indicating a weight of the article measured at a first time point in a transportation process of the article and second weight data indicating a weight of the article measured at a second time point after the first time point,
determines whether to notify a user of a warning, based on a result of comparing the weight indicated by the first weight data with the weight indicated by the second weight data, wherein:
the article is a package containing one or more items inside;
the first time point is any time point in a first period from when the package is sent out from a sender until when the package is mounted on a vehicle that stores and transports the package;
the second time point is any time point in a second period from when the package is delivered from the vehicle to a mobile body that delivers the package to a delivery destination of the package until when the mobile body starts delivering the package;
when the control unit compares the weight indicated by the first weight data with the weight indicated by the second weight data and the control unit determines that the weight indicated by the second weight data is smaller than the weight indicated by the first weight data, the control unit determines to notify the user of a warning,
the control unit further acquires third weight data indicating a weight of the package measured at a third time point that is any time point in a third period from when the mobile body starts delivering the package until when the package is delivered to an addressee of the package; and
the control unit determines whether to notify the user of a warning, further based on a result of comparing the weight indicated by the second weight data and the weight indicated by the third weight data; and
a communication unit that communicates with the mobile body, wherein:
the mobile body is provided with a door sensor that detects that a door of a storage unit that stores the package is opened;
the control unit communicates with the mobile body via the communication unit, and acquires, together with a time stamp, data indicating that the door detected by the door sensor has been opened during the third period;
the control unit specifies a time point at which the door of the storage unit is opened based on the acquired data and the acquired time stamp; and
the control unit determines that the specified time point is a time point at which the item is lost or stolen.