Package opening detection and control

• US 10,074,247 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Joshua K., Murphy, Morgan P., McMillon, Travis J., Taylor, Dennis J., Armstrong, Brett Taylor, Nico, Kimberly Ann Knowles, Watson, Kevin W., Bennett, Tommy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington, Michael P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh, Rupangini
• Application Number:
  US13/633,691
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 705332
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID

Abstract

A package may have a sensor that detects the opening of the package. Upon detecting the opening of the package, a device associated with the sensor transmits a signal to a web server. The web server may take various actions in response to the receipt of the signal. In addition, a package may have a lock that prevents the package from readily being opened until a preset time. In addition, the package may be equipped with a device capable of automatically opening the cover of the package upon being unlocked.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving order information associated with an order for an item purchased by a purchaser and shipped to a recipient;

determining, based at least in part on the order information, a package associated with shipment of at least the item, the package including a detector device configured to detect opening of the package based on a first sensor signal from one or more sensors and, in response to the detection, transmit a second signal;

receiving an indication that the package has been accepted for delivery by a shipper;

associating the detector device or the package with the order;

receiving, over a first wireless network, the second signal from the detector device, the second signal including location data indicating a location of the package and comprising at least audio data and video data associated with an opening of the package;

determining an open package time for the opening of the package;

determining an expected delivery time of the package;

determining that the opening of the package is associated with potential fraud or theft based at least in part on a comparison of the open package time and the expected delivery time; and

in response to the determining that the opening of the package is associated with potential fraud or theft, sending to a user device associated with the purchaser, over a second wireless network and based at least in part on the second signal, a notification of the opening of the package, wherein the notification comprises a portion of the audio data and a portion of the video data.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the second signal is transmitted based at least in part on ambient light conditions inside the package, wherein the ambient light conditions are detected by the detector device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, the operations further comprising receiving shipping information from the shipper relating to shipment of the package.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the audio data or the video data is data recorded by the detector device in connection with detection of the opening of the package.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, the operations further comprising sending to the shipper a message providing notice of the opening of the package.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the second signal includes an indication of the opening of the package, and at least an identifier associated with at least one of the package or the detector device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is the second wireless network.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system including one or more processors, data associated with a package;

receiving shipping data associated with delivery of the package, wherein the shipping data includes an expected time of package delivery to a final destination address associated with a package recipient;

receiving, by the computer system over a first wireless network, a second signal from a detector device associated with the package, the second signal indicating a time that the package has been at least partially opened based on a first sensor signal from one or more sensors and including audio data and video data associated with the at least partial opening of the package;

determining, by the computer system, that the at least partial opening of the package is associated with fraud or theft based on the second signal, wherein the determination of fraud or theft includes a comparison of the expected time of the package delivery to the final destination address and the time that the package is at least partially opened; and

in response to the determining that the at least partial opening of the package is associated with fraud or theft, sending, over a second wireless network and based at least in part on the second signal, a notification of the at least partial opening of the package, wherein the notification comprises a portion of the audio data and the video data.

8. The method of claim 7, further including sending a message associated with the determined fraud or theft to at least one of a sender of the package or an intended recipient of the package.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the package includes a locking mechanism that is in communication with the detector device and is set to unlock the package at a predetermined time, wherein the locking mechanism includes a display for indicating a status of the locking mechanism.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the locking mechanism displays a time remaining until the package is unlocked.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the first wireless network is the second wireless network.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system including one or more processors, package data associated with a package;

receiving, by the computer system over a first wireless network, a second signal from a detector device associated with the package, the second signal indicating at least a first time associated with at least a partial opening of the package;

receiving shipping data associated with delivery of the package, the shipping data including a second time of an expected time of package delivery to a final destination address associated with a package recipient;

determining, by the computer system, that the at least partially opened package is associated with potential fraud or theft by comparing the at least the first time and the second time; and

in response to the determining that the at least partially opened package is associated with potential fraud or theft, sending, by the computer system over a second wireless network, to a user device associated with a sender that is associated with the package, at least in part based on receiving the second signal, a notification that the package has been at least partially opened based on a first sensor signal from one or more sensors, the notification including audio data and video data associated with the at least partial opening of the package.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second signal comprises at least one of video data, image data, or audio data captured in connection with the at least partial opening of the package.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the package includes a locking mechanism to lock the package closed, the method further comprising sending at least one of a token, code, or key to a sender or recipient associated with the package, wherein the at least one of the token, code, or key is configured to unlock the locking mechanism.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a message to a shipper associated with the package, the message indicating that the package has been at least partially opened.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless network is the second wireless network.