Systems and methods to distribute and authenticate product delivery lockers

• US 10,062,048 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Wilkinson, Bruce W., Mattingly, Todd D., McHale, Brian G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aziz, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US15/711,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20180089619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/12 specially adapted for transport associated with vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of B60 - B64
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/74 having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0006 Coupling devices between containers, e.g. ISO-containers coupling devices between containers and vehicles B60P7/13
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/008 Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers locking E05B83/12
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/48 Arrangements of indicating or measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00634 Power supply for the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to support the delivery of products. Some embodiments provide a retail delivery locker system comprising: multiple delivery lockers comprising: a housing enclosing an interior product cavity; a door enabling access to the product cavity; first and second docking couplers each configured to securely dock with a docking station and a docking coupler of another locker; and a communication link between the first and second docking couplers; and multiple docking stations each comprising: a locker coupler configured to secure a locker with the docking station; a station control circuit that obtains a first locker identifier from a first locker, confirms the first locker is scheduled to dock with a docking station, and authorize the locking of the docking station with the first docking coupler; and a transceiver enabling the station control circuit to communicate with a remote central control system.

Claims

1. A retail delivery locker system, comprising:

multiple delivery lockers each comprising;

a housing enclosing at least an interior product cavity;

a door positioned within the housing and configured to open to enable access to at least the product cavity;

a first docking coupler and a second docking coupler, wherein each of the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler are configured to securely dock and lock with a docking station at a customer delivery location and a docking coupler of another of the multiple lockers; and

a communication link between the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler; and

multiple docking stations each positioned at different customer delivery locations, wherein each of the multiple docking stations comprises;

a locker coupler configured to secure a locker with a corresponding docking station of the multiple docking stations;

a station control circuit and memory accessible by the station control circuit and storing instructions that when executed by the station control circuit cause the station control circuit to obtain a first locker identifier from a first locker of the multiple delivery lockers, confirm the first locker is scheduled to dock with the corresponding docking station of the multiple docking stations, and authorize the locking of the corresponding docking station with the first docking coupler; and

a transceiver enabling the station control circuit to communicate with a remote central control system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the station control circuit is further configured to obtain a second locker identifier from a second locker of the multiple delivery lockers, confirm the second locker is scheduled to dock with the corresponding docking station, and authorize the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with the first docking coupler of the second locker when the second locker is confirmed to dock with the corresponding docking station.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the corresponding docking station further comprises an electrical power coupler, and the first locker comprises an electrical power conductor extending between the first coupler and the second coupler, wherein the electrical power coupler is configured to electrically couple with the first docking coupler of the first locker to supply electrical power to the first locker and the second locker.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the station control circuit is further configured to monitor electrical power usage by the first locker and monitor electrical power usage by the second locker independent of the electrical power usage of the first locker.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the corresponding docking station further comprises a network coupler configured to communicatively couple with an external distributed communication network, and a communication coupler;

and

wherein the first locker comprises a communication connection between the first coupler and the second coupler, wherein the communication coupler is configured to communicatively couple with the first docking coupler of the first locker to establish a communication path between the external distributed communication network and the first locker and the second locker.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the first locker comprises a first locker control circuit configured to control an interior temperature of the product cavity of the first locker;

and

wherein the second locker comprises a second locker control circuit configured to control an interior temperature of the product cavity of the second locker independent of the temperature of the product cavity of the first locker.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first locker comprises a first locker control circuit configured to obtain a second locker identifier from a second locker of the multiple delivery lockers, confirm the second locker is scheduled to dock with the corresponding docking station, and authorize the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with the first docking coupler of the second locker when the second locker is confirmed to dock with the corresponding docking station.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the station control circuit is further configured to identify that an unmanned delivery vehicle transporting the first locker is within a threshold distance of the corresponding docking station, and authenticates the unmanned delivery vehicle.

9. A method of docking retail delivery lockers, comprising:

obtaining, by a station control circuit of a docking station of multiple docking stations at different customer delivery locations, a first locker identifier from a first locker of multiple delivery lockers, wherein each delivery locker comprises a housing enclosing at least an interior product cavity, a door configured to open to enable access to at least the product cavity, a first docking coupler and a second docking coupler each configured to securely dock and lock with the docking station at one of the different customer delivery locations and a docking coupler of another of the multiple lockers, and a communication link between the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler;

confirming the first locker is scheduled to dock with the docking station; and

authorizing a locking between a locker coupler of the docking station and the first docking coupler of the first locker.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining a second locker identifier from a second locker of the multiple delivery lockers;

confirming the second locker is scheduled to dock with the docking station; and

authorizing the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with the first docking coupler of the second locker when the second locker is confirmed to dock with the docking station.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

supplying electrical power from the docking station to the first locker through an electrical power coupler of the docking station electrically coupled with the first docking coupler of the first locker, and to the second locker through an electrical power conductor extending between the first coupler and the second coupler of the first locker.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring power usage by the first locker; and

monitoring power usage by the second locker independent of the power usage of the first locker.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

establishing a communication path between an external distributed communication network with which the docking station is communicatively coupled and both the first locker and the second locker.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling, through a first locker control circuit of the first locker, an interior temperature of the product cavity of the first locker; and

controlling, through a second locker control circuit of the second locker, an interior temperature of the product cavity of the second locker independent of the temperature of the product cavity of the first locker.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

by a first locker control circuit of the first locker;

obtaining a second locker identifier from a second locker of the multiple delivery lockers;

confirming the second locker is scheduled to dock with the docking station; and

authorizing the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with the first docking coupler of the second locker when the second locker is confirmed to dock with the docking station.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying that an unmanned delivery vehicle transporting the first locker is within a threshold distance of the docking station, and

authenticating the unmanned delivery vehicle.