JP7674405B2 - Cargo space management device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle luggage compartment management device.

Transportation companies use trucks and other transport vehicles to transport cargo requested by various shippers. Transport companies can achieve efficient transportation by loading as much cargo as possible into the limited space in the cargo compartment of each transport vehicle.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle luggage status detection device that reduces the burden on the driver and efficiently transports and processes luggage. This vehicle luggage status detection device is equipped with a CCD camera, a shock absorber controller, a loading platform weighing scale, a vehicle weighing scale, an on-board communication device, an alarm device, an electronic license plate, an on-board information processing device, and the like. In addition, the device analyzes an image of the interior of the luggage compartment taken by the CCD camera to detect free spaces A and B, calculates the spatial loading rate based on these, and transmits the spatial loading rate to an office via communication. Here, free space A represents the free space on the wall side, and free space B represents the free space on the floor side. In addition, to facilitate image analysis, a grid-like pattern of lines is formed in the luggage compartment using multiple colors.

Patent Document 2 discloses a logistics system that effectively utilizes the capacity of a mobile object on which cargo is loaded. This logistics system has a detection unit disposed in the luggage compartment of the mobile object, and an information processing device, and the information processing device includes a memory unit, a prediction unit, a determination unit, an unloaded space calculation unit, and a freight calculation unit. The detection unit is disposed in the luggage compartment of the mobile object, and has a camera, a load weight meter, and a vehicle weighing scale. The camera, load weight meter, and vehicle weighing scale are connected to the information processing device via an in-vehicle network. The prediction unit predicts the total load of cargo, and the unloaded space calculation unit detects unloaded space.

Furthermore, a technique for detecting a vehicle's loading volume ratio using a three-dimensional sensor such as LiDAR (Laser imaging Detection and Ranging) is known (see Patent Documents 3 and 4).
Also, a traffic management system capable of outputting a daily work report regarding the operation of a work vehicle is disclosed in Patent Document 5. There is also a technology for issuing a report that associates the operation information and the load amount of a transport vehicle such as a tanker truck (Patent Document 6).

In addition, technologies are known that calculate the carbon dioxide ( _CO2 ) emissions of a shipper associated with the transport of cargo, and when transporting cargo for multiple shippers, calculate appropriate carbon dioxide emissions by apportioning them among the shippers using information such as delivery plans (Patent Documents 7 to 9).

JP 2001-334864 A International Publication No. 2019/216128 JP 2021-56765 A JP 2021-189666 A JP 2021-77112 A JP 2004-83274 A JP 2010-159113 A JP 2009-230740 A JP 2009-26167 A

Transportation companies of a certain size or larger, and shippers of a certain size or larger who request transport of goods from transportation companies, are required by law to report the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated during the transport of goods. Therefore, each shipper company needs to understand the amount of carbon dioxide emissions using technologies such as those described in Patent Documents 7 to 9.

However, when calculating carbon dioxide emissions when transporting cargo from multiple shippers together, if it is necessary to obtain a delivery plan (dispatch plan) that includes detailed information such as the loading and unloading locations, size, and weight of all cargo from each shipper, this places a burden on the work of inputting information and on the devices that send and receive the information.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an on-board cargo space management device that can properly calculate the carbon dioxide emissions for each shipper without significantly increasing the burden of information input work, even when transporting a mixed load of cargo from multiple shippers.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration.
a luggage compartment information management unit that is connected to a predetermined optical sensor that measures a state of a luggage compartment of the vehicle, and that grasps a loading rate and a change in the loading rate in the luggage compartment space of the vehicle based on a measurement result of the optical sensor;
a cargo information management unit that grasps cargo information including at least one of a loading time, a loading/unloading location, and a loading distance for each piece of cargo loaded in a luggage compartment of the vehicle;
a CO2 calculation unit that calculates an amount of carbon dioxide emission based on a loading rate of a luggage compartment of the vehicle and the cargo information;
A luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device comprising:

The in-vehicle cargo compartment management device of the present invention makes it possible to properly calculate the carbon dioxide emissions of each shipper without significantly increasing the burden of information input work, even when transporting cargo from multiple shippers together.

The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description of the embodiment of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system including an in-vehicle luggage space management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a main part of the in-vehicle luggage space management device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the appearance of the dedicated input terminal. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a table used by the luggage compartment management in-vehicle device. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between each base station on a transportation route of a vehicle and the cargo transported in each section and the loading rate. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of luggage and three-dimensional sensors in the luggage compartment of a vehicle. FIG. 7 is a front view showing specific examples of a plurality of states of the interior area of the luggage compartment measured by the three-dimensional sensor. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an outline of the operation of the luggage compartment management in-vehicle device. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device at each point where the vehicle loads/unloads luggage. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of calculating the amount of carbon dioxide emission. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a modification of the operation shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the luggage compartment management in-vehicle device when the vehicle returns to the warehouse.

Specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 100 including an on-board luggage management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The on-board luggage management device of the present invention may be composed of only an on-board device 11 mounted on each truck vehicle 10, or may be composed of a combination of the on-board device 11 and a server 20. The functions of the server 20 may also be substituted by an office PC (personal computer) 31a.

The cargo space management system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an on-board device 11 and a LiDAR unit 12, which is a three-dimensional sensor, mounted on each of a plurality of truck vehicles 10. The LiDAR unit 12 is configured to detect the cargo load rate in the three-dimensional space within the cargo space. Each on-board device 11 is configured to be able to connect to a communication line with a server 20 via a communication network 29 using a wireless communication function.

In the office 31 of the transportation company that manages each truck vehicle 10, an office PC 31a that can be used by the transportation company's manager is installed. This office PC 31a is configured so that it can connect to the server 20 via a communication line via the communication network 29.

The office PC 31a has functions such as receiving orders for transporting luggage from companies (contracted shippers) that have contracted with a transport company in advance, creating a transport plan for luggage requested to be transported in advance, issuing operating instructions to each vehicle according to the transport plan, and creating daily reports on the operating performance of each vehicle. Note that some or all of these functions may be provided by the server 20 as cloud services.

A user terminal 32a is also installed at the contract shipper's business 32. As an example, the contract shipper's business 32 is a relatively large business that has contracted with a specific transport company in advance. The user terminal 32a is configured to be able to connect to the server 20 via a communication line via the communication network 29.

The manager of the contract shipper uses the user terminal 32a to access the server 20 or the office PC 31a and places an order for the transportation of new packages with the transport company. Similarly, general shippers (non-contract shippers) 33 other than the contract shipper can use the functions of the server 20 by accessing the server 20 using the user terminal 33a.

The server 20 is configured with a computer system installed, for example, in a specified data center. The server 20 also includes a communication unit 21, a vehicle management unit 22, a driving record DB (database) 23, a daily report creation unit 24, a contract shipper management unit 25, a general shipper management unit 26, an office management unit 27, and a CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission calculation unit 28, and can realize various functions necessary for the overall control of the cargo space management system 100.

The communication unit 21 is connected to a communication network 29. The server 20 can be connected to a public communication network such as the Internet via the communication unit 21 and the communication network 29, and can communicate with the on-board device 11, the office PC 31a, and the user terminals 32a and 33a mounted on each truck vehicle 10.

The vehicle management unit 22 communicates data with the on-board unit 11 mounted on each truck vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21, and can acquire operation data indicating the operating status of each truck vehicle 10 at each point in time, and vehicle compartment status data at the time a specified trigger occurs. This operation data includes information such as an ID that identifies the vehicle or on-board unit 11, date and time, the current position of the vehicle, the current vehicle speed, and the current status as understood by the on-board unit 11. In addition, the cargo compartment status data includes data including the loading rate at the time when each trigger occurs, and is recorded in association with the type of trigger, vehicle type, departure and arrival destination, current position, time, etc.

The operation record DB 23 has a function of accumulating and storing the operation data and cargo compartment state data acquired from each vehicle by the vehicle management unit 22, by vehicle and by shipper.
The office management section 27 holds and manages information on Web pages to be displayed on the screen of the office PC 31a, information necessary for the office PC 31a to access, and information indicating the destination of messages and the like.

The CO2 emission calculation unit 28 calculates a numerical value representing the shipper's carbon dioxide emission for that day based on actual data such as the operating conditions of each vehicle on that day held in the operation record DB 23 and fluctuations in the loading rate of the cargo compartment during the operation of each vehicle on that day.

The CO2 emission calculation unit 28 can calculate the carbon dioxide emission amount by appropriately apportioning the loading rate among the multiple shippers, not only when each truck vehicle 10 transports only the cargo of a single contract shipper, but also when the same truck vehicle 10 transports cargo of multiple shippers at the same time. In this case, the multiple shippers can include contract shippers and general shippers.

The daily report creation unit 24 creates daily report data showing a list of the driving conditions of each vehicle on the day and the fluctuation in the loading rate of the cargo space, based on the actual data such as the driving conditions of each vehicle on the day and the fluctuation in the loading rate of the cargo space, which are held in the operation record DB 23. The daily report creation unit 24 can also include the numerical value of the carbon dioxide emissions calculated by the CO2 emission calculation unit 28 in the daily report.

The contract shipper management unit 25 holds and manages information on contract shippers who have signed a contract in advance as customers of a specific transport company. Specifically, it holds and manages information indicating the location and area of each business establishment designated by each contract shipper as the loading and unloading point, information on web pages to be displayed on the screen of the user terminal 32a, information required for access by the user terminal 32a, and information indicating the destination of messages, etc. The functions of the contract shipper management unit 25 may be located on the office PC 31a side.

The general shipper management department 26 performs a demand and supply matching process in response to access from the user terminal 33a of general shippers who wish to transport luggage but have not made a contract in advance, and transmits to the user terminal 33a information such as a web page for providing luggage transport services.

In other words, when there is actually free space in the cargo compartment of each truck vehicle 10 that has begun transportation, the general shipper management department 26 performs a matching process to allocate and transport the general shipper's cargo to the free space, taking into consideration the transportation plan created in advance at the request of each contract shipper and the actual free space in the cargo compartment. Information on the free space can be obtained from the vehicle-mounted device 11 installed in each truck vehicle 10.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of an in-vehicle luggage management device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 includes a control unit 11a, an IF unit 11b, a vehicle speed detection unit 11c, a GPS receiver 11d, a display unit 11e, an operation unit 11f, an RTC 11g, an external signal input unit 11h, a non-volatile memory 11i, a volatile memory 11j, a memory card IF 11k, a wireless communication unit 11m, and a memory card 44. The vehicle-mounted device 11 shown in FIG. 2 can be realized by adding a function for implementing the present invention to, for example, a general digital tachograph.

The control unit 11a is composed of electronic circuits mainly composed of a microcomputer, and by executing pre-installed programs, performs various controls to realize the functions required for the vehicle-mounted device 11. As an example, the control unit 11a has the following functions (1) to (5).

(1) A function of periodically acquiring and recording vehicle operation information including the current position, the current time, the vehicle speed, etc. Furthermore, a function of transmitting the recorded information to the server 20.
(2) A function of detecting the occurrence of a trigger by monitoring an operation input from the operation buttons 41. The operation buttons 41 include a loading button, an unloading button, a tailgate lifter switch, and the like.
(3) A function that periodically acquires information on the current location (latitude/longitude), compares the current location with the range of a predefined geofence, and detects the occurrence of a trigger based on whether or not the current location has entered or exited each geofence.
(4) A function of executing a predetermined control operation in response to detection of a trigger. The operations executed in response to a trigger include the following operations:
- 3D measurement of the cargo space using the LiDAR unit 12.
- Obtaining loading rate.
- Recording of loading rate and linking it to various related information.
-Transmission of loading rate and various information related thereto to the server 20.
In addition to the above, the function of detecting the occurrence of a trigger may be configured to detect the occurrence of a trigger based on an external signal input from outside the vehicle-mounted device that indicates a change in the state of the vehicle, such as a door opening/closing signal 42 for the luggage compartment door or the driver's door, or a change in vehicle speed (start/stop) calculated from a vehicle speed pulse.

IF (interface) section 11b is an interface for connecting LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) unit 12 and control section 11a. LiDAR unit 12 has a built-in light source that emits laser light and a detector that detects reflected light and scattered light. LiDAR unit 12 can measure the distance to and shape of an object by irradiating laser light into the three-dimensional space of the subject and detecting the reflected light and scattered light with a detector. Control section 11a controls LiDAR unit 12 via IF section 11b, and starts and ends the three-dimensional measurement operation by LiDAR unit 12, obtains measurement results, and so on.

The vehicle speed detection unit 11c receives a vehicle speed pulse signal output from the vehicle and converts it into a signal suitable for vehicle speed detection processing in the control unit 11a. The GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 11d receives radio waves from multiple GPS satellites and calculates the latitude/longitude that represents the current position of the vehicle based on the time of the received signal.

The display unit 11e is positioned so that it is easily visible to the driver, and displays information such as guidance information, numerical values, and time required for the driver to input operations. The operation unit 11f is positioned so that it is easily operable by the driver, and has a number of operation buttons 41 that can receive input operations from the driver, including a loading button that is operated when starting loading work and an unloading button that is operated when starting unloading work.

The RTC (Real Time Clock) 11g is composed of a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) and has a clock function for generating information on the current date, day of the week, and time (hour, minute, second), as well as measuring time.

The external signal input unit 11h inputs the door opening/closing signal 42 and provides the control unit 11a with a signal suitable for processing. The door opening/closing signal 42 includes a signal from a switch that detects whether the luggage compartment door is open or closed, and a signal from a switch that detects whether the driver's door is open or closed.

The non-volatile memory 11i holds, as registered data 43, programs executable by the computer of the control unit 11a necessary to realize the various functions of the vehicle-mounted device 11, and various constant data specific to the vehicle. The registered data 43 includes a vehicle-specific ID, vehicle model information, various tables, and the like. The various tables may include tables that can be used to identify the type and volume of a transport case (such as a pallet), and tables for converting a loading rate into a loading capacity. In addition, various data that needs to be stored can be written and registered in the non-volatile memory 11i.

The volatile memory 11j temporarily stores various data generated by the control unit 11a during operation. The memory card IF 11k has a card slot capable of removably holding a memory card 44, and can connect the memory card 44 to the microcomputer of the control unit 11a.

The wireless communication unit 11m has a wireless communication function compatible with communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), and establishes a wireless communication link between the vehicle and a wireless base station provided by a mobile communication carrier or the like.

The memory card 44 has a built-in non-volatile memory and can register and store information identifying the driver operating the vehicle, information identifying the vehicle, operation record data generated by the vehicle-mounted device 11, the type of trigger that occurs for each event, changes in loading rate, etc.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 shown in FIG. 2 can be connected to a dedicated input terminal 50 prepared for a digital tachograph. The dedicated input terminal 50 is a handy type that can be taken outside the truck vehicle 10 and used for input operations when the driver or the like performs operations such as loading/unloading cargo. This dedicated input terminal 50 has various buttons such as a numeric keypad for operation, and also has a built-in barcode reader. The barcode reader of the dedicated input terminal 50 can be used to read the barcodes of cargo attached to pallets, etc., and to refer to the corresponding slip data.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the external appearance of the dedicated input terminal 50. As shown in FIG.
The dedicated input terminal 50 has a loading button 51 , an unloading button 52 , a 3D sensor button 53 , and various other buttons 54 on its front surface, which can be operated manually by the driver of the truck vehicle 10 , and further has a barcode reader 55 .

The loading button 51 inputs a signal to the vehicle-mounted device 11 indicating the start of loading work. The unloading button 52 inputs a signal to the vehicle-mounted device 11 indicating the start of unloading work. The 3D sensor button 53 inputs a signal to the vehicle-mounted device 11 instructing the LiDAR unit 12 to start measuring the loading rate and a signal to switch between multiple shippers for the cargo being worked on.

The various buttons 54 include a numeric keypad and are used to manually input values. The barcode reader 55 optically reads barcodes that represent the shipping slip data for each package on a pallet.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the table 43a used by the luggage compartment management in-vehicle device.
When a transport company transports a customer's luggage using a truck vehicle 10, it usually uses a dedicated transport case such as a pallet, and transports the luggage by the case, loading the luggage into the luggage compartment. The type and size of the transport case differs depending on the shipper. Representative examples of transport cases include pallets, returnable boxes, beer cases, and basket carts.

Table 43a shown in FIG. 4 holds in advance data that indicates the relationship between type, unit of cargo, and volume per case for each transport case used by each contract shipper, etc. Therefore, if the type of case to be used in actual transport can be identified, the volume per case can be ascertained from table 43a. In addition, if the number of cases can be identified, the loading rate can be calculated from the assumed volume that the entire cargo to be transported will occupy in the cargo compartment of each truck vehicle 10.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between each base station on the vehicle's transportation route and the cargo transported in each section and the loading rate.

Each truck vehicle 10 belonging to a transport company travels between a plurality of bases of customers along a transport route such as that shown in Fig. 5. Also, loading and unloading of cargo is performed at each base along the transport route.
In the example shown in Fig. 5, the truck vehicle 10 that has left the warehouse first travels toward the shipper's base B11, loads the cargo LO1 at the shipper's base B11, and then travels toward the shipper's base B12. Next, the truck vehicle 10 unloads the cargo LO1 at the shipper's base B12 and loads another cargo LO2, before traveling toward the next shipper's base B13.

Furthermore, after loading cargo LO3 at shipper's base B13, truck vehicle 10 heads to the next shipper's base B14. Next, unloading cargo LO3 and LO2 at shipper's base B14 completes the day's cargo transportation. After that, truck vehicle 10 drives back to transportation company office B0 and stores the cargo in storage. Note that multiple shipper's bases B11, B12, B13, and B14 may belong to the same shipper's company or to multiple different shipper's companies.

As shown in Figure 5, the loading rate of the cargo compartment changes as cargo is loaded or unloaded at each base. In the example shown in Figure 5, the loading rate of the truck vehicle 10 is about 30% on average, meaning that the truck vehicle 10 has a large margin of transportation capacity. In other words, it is possible to load and transport additional cargo from general shippers that is not included in the transportation plan in the empty space in the cargo compartment of the truck vehicle 10.

Meanwhile, each shipper who requests a transportation company to transport cargo is obligated to understand and report the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during transportation. The cargo space management system 100 shown in FIG. 1 has the function of calculating carbon dioxide emissions and providing the data to the shipper. Here, when there is only one shipper of cargo transported simultaneously by one truck vehicle 10, or when there is no need to distinguish between loading rates for each shipper, it is possible to calculate the shipper's CO2 emissions using the vehicle's operation records and loading rate data. In other words, the CO2 emissions are calculated based on the product of the transport weight and the transport distance.

However, when transporting cargo from multiple shippers at the same time, the result of mixing the cargo from multiple shippers is reflected in the loading rate for each vehicle, so it is not possible to directly calculate the CO2 emissions for each shipper from this loading rate.

Therefore, the cargo space management vehicle-mounted device of this embodiment is equipped with a function to measure and record the loading rate while distinguishing between multiple shippers when loading/unloading cargo onto each truck vehicle 10, as described below.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of luggage and three-dimensional sensors in the luggage compartment of a vehicle.
In the example of Fig. 6, a LiDAR unit 12, which is a three-dimensional sensor, is fixed to the ceiling position at the rear of the luggage compartment of a truck vehicle 10. In addition, the axis of the measurement direction of the LiDAR unit 12 is oriented toward the front of the vehicle and is slightly inclined diagonally downward.

Figure 7 is a front view showing specific examples of multiple states of the cargo compartment interior area measured by a 3D sensor. The LiDAR unit 12 installed in a location such as that shown in Figure 6 can perform 3D measurements of the space within the range of each of the cargo compartment states C1 to C4 shown in Figure 7.

The example in Figure 7 shows a situation in which luggage L61, L62, L63, and L64 are loaded in order from the front to the rear (the front side of the image) of the cargo room CR of the truck vehicle 10. The LiDAR unit 12 measures the distance to the surface of each of the luggage L61 to L64 in the front at each coordinate position within the measurement range by irradiating it with laser light. Based on the measured distances, the LiDAR unit 12 distinguishes between space in the cargo room CR where luggage exists and empty space, and calculates the loading rate.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an overview of the operation of the luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device. The operation shown in Figure 8 is explained below.

At each base, the driver of the truck vehicle 10 loads and unloads the cargo of each contracted shipper into the cargo compartment of the truck vehicle 10. At this time, the driver operates the operation button 41 of the vehicle-mounted device 11 or each button of the dedicated input terminal 50 to instruct the vehicle-mounted device 11 to start loading or unloading, and also generates a trigger to start measurement by the LiDAR unit 12.

In addition, during work, the driver can operate, for example, the 3D sensor button 53 to instruct the vehicle-mounted device 11 to switch the shipper classification. For example, after the planned quantity of cargo for "contracted shipper A" has been loaded, the driver operates the 3D sensor button 53 and then loads the planned quantity of cargo for "contracted shipper B." In this case, the vehicle-mounted device 11 can detect the operation of the 3D sensor button 53 as an additional trigger and distinguish between cargo for "contracted shipper A" and cargo for "contracted shipper B."

In addition, the driver can read the barcode attached to the luggage case using the barcode reader 55 of the dedicated input terminal 50 to refer to the slip data of the corresponding luggage.
The LiDAR unit 12 measures the loading rate of the cargo compartment space before and after loading of each cargo or each contracted shipper. The vehicle-mounted device 11 inputs the latest loading rate from the LiDAR unit 12 (S11) and records the loading rate of the cargo for each contracted shipper and the volume of the free space in the entire cargo compartment (S12). This process may be performed on the server 20 side.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions for each shipper based on the loading rate for each contract shipper acquired in S12 and the transport distance for each corresponding package (S13). This process may be performed on the server 20 side.

After the loading operation is completed, the truck vehicle 10 leaves the current base and heads to the next base (S13).

In this state, there may be vacant space in the cargo compartment of the truck vehicle 10. For example, the general shipper management unit 26 of the server 20 determines whether matching is required to allocate cargo requested by uncontracted general shippers to the vacant space in the cargo compartment (S14). If matching is not required, the truck will arrive at the next base as is (S17).

If it is determined that matching is necessary, the server 20 or the vehicle-mounted device 11 determines whether or not additional cargo can be loaded onto the truck vehicle 10 (S15). If additional cargo cannot be loaded, the process proceeds to step S17. If loading is possible, the driver follows instructions from the vehicle-mounted device 11 to load the cargo requested by the general shipper onto the truck vehicle 10 at the next base or a location designated by the general shipper.

When carrying out this loading operation, the vehicle-mounted device 11 inputs each piece of data measured by the LiDAR unit 12 to obtain the cargo loading rate for each shipper and also obtain the volume of the free space in the entire cargo compartment (S16). This process may be performed on the server 20 side.

When the truck vehicle 10 arrives at the next base (S17), it is determined whether the transportation work for the day has been completed (S18). If the transportation work continues, the process returns to S11. If the transportation work is completed, the vehicle-mounted device 11 obtains the latest loading rate for each shipper at the time of unloading from the LiDAR unit 12 (S19), and records the loading rate of the cargo for each contracted shipper and the volume of free space in the entire cargo compartment (S20). The vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20 then calculates the carbon dioxide emissions for each shipper based on the loading rate and the transport distance for each corresponding cargo, and notifies each shipper of the calculated carbon dioxide emission data (S21).

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the on-board luggage compartment management device at each point where the vehicle loads/unloads cargo. The operation of Figure 9 is explained below.

For example, the driver operates the loading button 51 or the unloading button 52 on the dedicated input terminal 50, causing the vehicle-mounted device 11 to generate a loading or unloading trigger. When a loading or unloading trigger occurs, the vehicle-mounted device 11 proceeds to process S51 to S52 and obtains the latest loading rate measurement result from the LiDAR unit 12.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 records the loading rate data acquired in S52 as actual data D1, with the data categorized by shipper. This actual data D1 includes data that can identify changes in the loading rate before and after loading/unloading operations. The vehicle-mounted device 11 also records cargo information that can be used to calculate the transport distance, such as position information at the location (e.g., latitude/longitude, base name, etc.), time, and driving distance between bases, as actual data D1 (S53).

For example, when each truck vehicle 10 is loading cargo belonging to "Shipper A" and cargo belonging to "Shipper B" at the same base at approximately the same time, all cargo belonging to "Shipper A" is loaded first, and then all cargo belonging to "Shipper B" is loaded. Here, an additional trigger is used so that the vehicle-mounted device 11 and the server 20 can detect the switch between cargo belonging to "Shipper A" and cargo belonging to "Shipper B". As a specific example, the detection of the pressing of the 3D sensor button 53 during loading/unloading work is used as the detection of the additional trigger. Then, the vehicle-mounted device 11 judges whether or not an additional trigger has been detected (S54). If an additional trigger has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S58.

On the other hand, when the vehicle-mounted device 11 detects an additional trigger, it proceeds to processing from S54 to S55. Then, it switches the shipper classification of the cargo information recorded as the performance data D1 (S55), and obtains the latest loading rate from the LiDAR unit 12 (S56). For example, when loading cargo belonging to "shipper A", the loading rate and cargo information related to the cargo belonging to "shipper A" are recorded in the recording area of the first shipper classification of the performance data D1. Then, when it detects an additional trigger in S54 before loading cargo belonging to "shipper B", it switches the recording destination to the recording area of the second shipper classification of the performance data D1 in S55, and records the loading rate and cargo information related to the cargo belonging to "shipper B" obtained in S56 (S57). This makes it possible to individually separate the performance data D1 of multiple shippers by shipper with just simple processing. If an additional trigger is detected in step S54, the latest loading rate may be obtained first by the LiDAR unit 12 (S56), and then the shipper classification of the cargo information recorded as performance data D1 may be switched (S55). Regardless of whether S55 or S56 is performed first, if an additional trigger is detected in step S54, the latest loading rate may be obtained and recorded from the LiDAR unit 12 before starting loading/unloading for "shipper B," so that it is possible to know from the data that the state after loading/unloading for "shipper A" matches the state before loading/unloading for "shipper B."

The vehicle-mounted device 11 repeats the processes of S54 to S58 while the loading/unloading work at one base is continuing. Then, when the completion of the loading/unloading work at one base is detected by a predetermined button operation or the like, the vehicle-mounted device 11 acquires the final loading rate at the base from the LiDAR unit 12 (S59). Next, the vehicle-mounted device 11 judges whether there are multiple shippers (S60). In the example shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20 knows whether there is a single shipper or multiple shippers for each work to be loaded/unloaded at each base based on the transportation plan or the like. Even in this case, the vehicle-mounted device 11 does not need to acquire detailed information on each piece of cargo of each shipper from the transportation plan as in the past. Note that the vehicle-mounted device 11, etc. may determine that there is a single shipper if no additional trigger detection has been made by S54. If there is a single shipper for the loading/unloading work at the base, the vehicle-mounted device 11 proceeds to the process of S63.

On the other hand, if the vehicle-mounted device 11 determines that there are multiple shippers, it refers to the shipping slip data for each shipper of the cargo being transported in S61. In practice, the barcode attached to each transport case is read by the barcode reader 55, and the shipping slip data for the cargo linked to the corresponding barcode can be referenced. In addition to the information necessary for transporting the corresponding cargo, this shipping slip data includes information such as the type of transport case for each customer and the number of items per case (number of pallets).

When the truck vehicle 10 transports cargo from multiple shippers at the same time, the on-board device 11 identifies each of the multiple shippers in the performance data D1 in S62. Specifically, the shippers in each shipper category can be identified by comparing the loading rate of each shipper category in the performance data D1 with the number of pallets for each shipper included in the slip data. In other words, since the total volume of the cargo changes in proportion to the number of pallets and is reflected in the loading rate, the number of pallets can be used to associate each loading rate data with each shipper without obtaining a detailed transportation plan. The on-board device 11 then records the loading rate data as performance data D1, distinguished by shipper category (in the shipper category if there is only one shipper) (S63).

The vehicle-mounted device 11 uses the cargo information included in the performance data D1 to identify the transport distance for each shipper and each piece of cargo in S64.
The vehicle-mounted device 11 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions individually for each shipper in S65 based on the loading rate (difference for each shipper) of the actual data D1 apportioned for each shipper and the transport distance for each cargo identified in S59.

The operations shown in FIG. 9 are assumed to be executed under the control of the control unit 11a in the vehicle-mounted device 11, but can also be executed by the server 20 if the server 20 is used as a cloud, for example.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of calculating the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. That is, the details of step S61 in Figure 9 are shown in Figure 10. The operation in Figure 10 is described below.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20 acquires the vehicle-specific maximum load capacity Wm based on information indicating the vehicle type of the corresponding truck vehicle 10 in S71.
The vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20 acquires the loading rate Rn prorated for each shipper for each transportation section of the corresponding truck vehicle 10 in S72.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20 acquires the transport distance Ln of each cargo for each shipper for each section of the corresponding truck vehicle 10 in S73.
In step S74, the vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20 acquires the transport weight Wn for each shipper for the section of the corresponding truck vehicle 10. The transport weight Wn for each section is calculated by the following formula.
Wn = Wm x Rn

The vehicle-mounted device 11 or server 20 calculates in S75 the CO2 emissions Vco2 of the relevant shipper in the cargo transport of the relevant truck vehicle 10. This CO2 emissions Vco2 can be calculated as the sum of the products of the transport weight Wn and the transport distance Ln for each section, that is, a value proportional to the number of ton-kilometers.

In this embodiment, the CO2 emission amount Vco2 is calculated using the "improved ton-kilometer method". That is, the CO2 emission amount Vco2 is calculated as the product of the "number of transport ton-kilometers" and the "CO2 emission unit based on the improved ton-kilometer method". The "CO2 emission unit based on the improved ton-kilometer method" can be specified based on the loading rate and the type of fuel used by the vehicle.
The vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20 presents the information on the amount of CO2 emission Vco2 calculated in S75 to the relevant shipper (S76).

<Operation of the Modified Example>
Fig. 11 is a flow chart showing a modified example of the operation shown in Fig. 9. The operation shown in Fig. 11 will be described below.

For example, the driver can operate the loading button 51 or the unloading button 52 on the dedicated input terminal 50 to cause the vehicle-mounted device 11 to generate a loading or unloading trigger. When a loading or unloading trigger occurs, the vehicle-mounted device 11 proceeds to processing from S81 to S82 and obtains the latest loading rate measurement result from the LiDAR unit 12.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 records the loading rate data acquired in S72 in sequence or all at once, regardless of the classification of the shipper, as actual data D2 (S83). This actual data D2 includes data that can identify changes in the loading rate before and after loading/unloading operations. The vehicle-mounted device 11 also records cargo information that can be used to calculate the transport distance, such as position information at the location (e.g., latitude/longitude, base name, etc.), time, and driving distance between bases, as actual data D2.

Then, when the vehicle-mounted device 11 detects the completion of loading/unloading work at one base by operating a specified button or the like (S84), it obtains the measurement result of the final loading rate at this base from the LiDAR unit 12 (S85) and records the loading rate of the entire cargo and the cargo information (S86). Next, the vehicle-mounted device 11 determines whether there are multiple shippers (S87). If there is a single shipper involved in the loading/unloading work at the base, the vehicle-mounted device 11 proceeds to the processing of S91.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 refers to the shipping slip data for each shipper of the cargo being transported in S88. In practice, the barcode attached to each transport case is read by the barcode reader 55, and the shipping slip data for the cargo linked to the corresponding barcode can be referred to. In addition to the information necessary for transporting the corresponding cargo, this shipping slip data includes information such as the type of transport case for each customer and the number of items per case (number of pallets).

The vehicle-mounted device 11 identifies each shipper from the slip data referenced in S88, and calculates the proportion of the loading rate for each shipper in S89. Specifically, the deemed loading capacity for each shipper can be calculated based on the number of pallets in the slip data and the contents of table 43a shown in Figure 4, so the proportion of the loading rate for the entire cargo space is calculated taking into account the deemed loading capacity of each of the multiple shippers.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 records the loading rate apportioned for each shipper as the actual data D3 in S90, taking into consideration the apportionment for each shipper calculated in S89 based on the loading rate of the actual data D2.
The vehicle-mounted device 11 uses the cargo information included in the performance data D2 or D3 to identify the transport distance for each shipper and each piece of cargo in S91.

In S92, the vehicle-mounted device 11 calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for each shipper individually based on the loading rate (difference for each shipper) of the actual data D3 apportioned for each shipper and the transport distance for each package identified in S91.

The operations shown in FIG. 11 are executed under the control of the control unit 11a in the vehicle-mounted device 11, but can also be executed by the server 20 when the server 20 is used as a cloud, for example.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the luggage compartment management vehicle device when the vehicle returns to the warehouse. The operation shown in Figure 12 is explained below.

Normally, a transport company transports the cargo of a contracted shipper in a transport case prepared in advance. Therefore, after the transport of the cargo is completed, the truck vehicle 10 drives back with the empty transport case loaded in the cargo compartment of the truck vehicle 10 and returns to the transport company's parking lot or the like. Therefore, when the truck vehicle 10 returns to the warehouse, carbon dioxide is emitted as the empty transport case is transported. Therefore, the cargo compartment management vehicle-mounted device of this embodiment performs the operation shown in FIG. 12 to realize the function of calculating the amount of carbon dioxide emitted at the time of return to the warehouse.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 references the slip data by reading the barcode attached to the transport case (S101). This makes it possible to identify the shipper who used the transport case. It also makes it possible to identify the number of empty transport cases.

When the vehicle-mounted device 11 detects that it is time to return to the warehouse, it proceeds to processing from S102 to S103. For example, it considers it time to return to the warehouse when it detects that the loading ratio measured by the LiDAR unit 12 has become 0 during unloading work, or when a specific button is operated.

When empty transport cases are loaded into the luggage compartment of the truck vehicle 10, the vehicle-mounted device 11 acquires and records actual loading rate data from the LiDAR unit 12 (S103). Then, when loading of the empty transport cases is completed, the process proceeds from S104 to S105.

The vehicle-mounted device 11 acquires past data on the loading rate, which is proportional to the total volume occupied by the empty transport cases, for each shipper (S105).
The vehicle-mounted device 11 specifies the transport distance of the return route along which the empty transport cases are transported based on the cargo information of the performance data (S106).
The vehicle-mounted device 11 calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for each shipper in the section in which the empty transport cases are transported on the return journey (S107).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle-mounted device 11 and the LiDAR unit 12 are separate, but they may be configured as an integrated unit. Also, the dedicated input terminal 50 and the vehicle-mounted device 11 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle-mounted device 11 or server 20 is assumed to know the shipper who will be loading/unloading at each base point, including whether the shipper is single or multiple, based on a transportation plan, etc. However, the vehicle-mounted device 11, etc. may determine that the shipper is single if no additional trigger is detected.

Here, the features of the in-vehicle luggage compartment management device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [8].
[1] A luggage compartment information management unit (vehicle-mounted device 11 or server 20, S53) that is connected to a predetermined optical sensor (LiDAR unit 12) that measures the state of the luggage compartment of the vehicle and grasps the loading rate and the change in the loading rate in the luggage compartment space of the vehicle based on the measurement result of the optical sensor;
A cargo information management unit (the vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20, S53) that grasps cargo information including at least one of a loading time, a loading/unloading location, and a loading distance for each cargo loaded in the luggage compartment of the vehicle;
A CO2 calculation unit (the vehicle-mounted device 11 or the server 20, S65) that calculates an amount of carbon dioxide emission based on a loading rate of a luggage compartment of the vehicle and the cargo information;
A luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device comprising:

The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device configured as described above in [1] can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions based on the luggage compartment loading rate and cargo information obtained using the measurement results of the optical sensor.

[2] When the vehicle is loaded with cargo from multiple shippers, the cargo compartment information management unit grasps the loading rate allocated to each shipper based on the change in the measurement result of the optical sensor (S52 to S63, or S89),
The CO2 calculation unit calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission for each shipper (S65 or S92),
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to the above [1].

The vehicle-mounted cargo space management device with the configuration of [2] above keeps track of the loading rate allocated to each shipper, so even if cargo from multiple shippers is loaded onto the same vehicle and transported simultaneously, the carbon dioxide emissions can be correctly calculated separately for each shipper.

[3] a CO2 emission amount presentation unit (S21) that presents the carbon dioxide emission amount calculated by the CO2 calculation unit to the shipper;
The luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device according to the above [1] or [2], further comprising:

The vehicle-mounted cargo space management device having the above configuration [3] allows each shipper who has requested a transport company to transport cargo to easily grasp the amount of carbon dioxide actually emitted as a result of the transport of the cargo.

[4] When there is a change in the loading rate of the luggage compartment of the vehicle, the CO2 calculation unit recalculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions based on the latest information (S11 to S12, S14 to S16, S19 to S20).
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to any one of the above items [1] to [3].

The vehicle-mounted cargo space management device having the configuration described in [4] above can correctly recalculate the carbon dioxide emissions based on the latest loading rate even when, for example, there is a change in the loading rate due to loading and/or unloading at each base, or when a dynamic change occurs in the actual cargo space loading rate that differs from the transportation plan due to the carrier accepting the transportation of new cargo from an uncontracted shipper.

[5] a shipper switching instruction unit (S54) that receives an input instruction for switching shippers when loading and/or unloading of the vehicle occurs;
The luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device according to any one of the above [1] to [4], further comprising:

The vehicle-mounted cargo compartment management device with the configuration of [5] above makes it easy to input information to distinguish between cargo quantities and other information that affects the cargo compartment loading rate for each cargo compartment, even when each vehicle is loading and unloading cargo for multiple cargo owners at the same location at approximately the same time, i.e., in sequence.

[6] Further comprising a matching processing unit (S14) capable of accepting, after the departure of the vehicle, a luggage transport request from a non-contracted shipper who has not made a contract before the departure of the vehicle;
The CO2 calculation unit calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission for each of the cargo of the contracted shipper contracted before the departure of the vehicle and the cargo of the non-contracted shipper (S20).
6. A vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to any one of the above [1] to [5].

According to the in-vehicle cargo compartment management device configured as described above in [6], if there is free space in the cargo compartment, additional cargo from non-contracted shippers can be loaded onto the vehicle for transport, allowing the transport company to increase the loading rate of each vehicle and improve transport efficiency. Moreover, since the carbon dioxide emissions are calculated separately for each shipper, each shipper can know the correct amount of carbon dioxide emissions.

[7] The CO2 calculation unit calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions based on the loading rate of the luggage compartment space measured with respect to the transport case during a return section in which the vehicle travels with only the transport case loaded (see FIG. 12 ).
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to any one of [1] to [6] above.

The in-vehicle luggage compartment management device with the configuration of [7] above can also accurately grasp the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that occur when each vehicle travels with only the empty transport cases loaded after the vehicle has completed transporting the day's luggage.

[8] The CO2 calculation unit grasps an assumed load weight based on the maximum weight specific to the vehicle and the detected load ratio, and calculates the carbon dioxide emission amount using the cargo information (S92).
8. The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to any one of the above [1] to [7].

The vehicle-mounted luggage management device with the configuration [8] above uses the assumed load weight to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions, eliminating the need to input the correct weight information for each unit of luggage, reducing the amount of input work required by the driver, etc.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Truck vehicle 11 Vehicle-mounted device 11a Control unit 11b IF unit 11c Vehicle speed detection unit 11d GPS receiver 11e Display unit 11f Operation unit 11g RTC
11h external signal input unit 11i non-volatile memory 11j volatile memory 11k memory card IF
11m wireless communication unit 12 LiDAR unit 20 server 21 communication unit 22 vehicle management unit 23 operation record DB
24 Daily report creation department 25 Contract shipper management department 26 General shipper management department 27 Office management department 28 CO2 emission calculation department 29 Communication network 31 Transportation company office 31a Office PC
32 Contract shipper's business 32a, 33a User terminal 33 General shipper 41 Operation button 42 Door opening/closing signal 43 Registered data 43a Table 44 Memory card 50 Dedicated input terminal 51 Loading button 52 Unloading button 53 3D sensor button 54 Various buttons 55 Barcode reader 100 Cargo room management system B0 Transportation company office B11, B12, B13, B14 Shipper's base C1, C2, C3, C4 Cargo room status CR Cargo room

Claims (8)

a luggage compartment information management unit that is connected to a predetermined optical sensor that measures a state of a luggage compartment of the vehicle, and that grasps a loading rate and a change in the loading rate in the luggage compartment space of the vehicle based on a measurement result of the optical sensor;
a cargo information management unit that grasps cargo information including at least one of a loading time, a loading/unloading location, and a loading distance for each piece of cargo loaded in a luggage compartment of the vehicle;
a CO2 calculation unit that calculates an amount of carbon dioxide emission based on a loading rate of a luggage compartment of the vehicle and the cargo information;
A luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device comprising: The cargo compartment information management unit, when the vehicle is loaded with cargo from multiple cargo owners, grasps the loading rate allocated to each cargo owner based on a change in the measurement result of the optical sensor,
The CO2 calculation unit calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for each shipper.
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to claim 1. A CO2 emission amount presentation unit that presents the carbon dioxide emission amount calculated by the CO2 calculation unit to a shipper;
The luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1 , further comprising: The CO2 calculation unit recalculates the amount of carbon dioxide emission based on the latest information when there is a change in the loading rate of the luggage compartment of the vehicle.
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to claim 1. a shipper switching instruction unit that receives an input instruction for switching shippers when loading and/or unloading of the vehicle occurs;
The luggage compartment management vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1 , further comprising: A matching processing unit capable of accepting, after the departure of the vehicle, a luggage transport request from a non-contracted shipper who has not made a contract before the departure of the vehicle,
The CO2 calculation unit calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by distinguishing between cargo of a contracted shipper contracted before the departure of the vehicle and cargo of a non-contracted shipper,
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to claim 1. The CO2 calculation unit calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions based on the loading rate of the luggage compartment space measured with respect to the transport case during a return section in which the vehicle travels with only the luggage transport case loaded,
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to claim 1. The CO2 calculation unit grasps a deemed load weight based on a maximum weight specific to the vehicle and the detected load ratio, and calculates a carbon dioxide emission amount using the cargo information.
The vehicle-mounted luggage compartment management device according to claim 1.

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