Systems and methods for controlling door locking mechanisms to facilitate package delivery or pickup

• US 10,255,737 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David L. Eichenblatt
• Original Assignee: David L. Eichenblatt
• Inventors: Eichenblatt, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/456,048
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/12 comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection

Abstract

A system for facilitating package delivery or pickup at premises of senders or recipients has a package door that is used for receipt and collection of packages. The package door includes an input device for entering package information and an image capture device for visually recording the arrival of a courier. Based on the package information entered via the input device, the system determines whether the package information matches a predetermined value, such as a package tracking number. The system may automatically unlock the package door if the package information matches such predetermined value. In other embodiments, a user may remotely monitor the package information and/or information from the image capture device to determine whether to provide inputs for unlocking the package door. The system logs the package information received from the input device and the image capture device.

Claims

1. A package door system comprising:

a door;

a door locking mechanism coupled to the door;

a user interface positioned near the door and comprising a data input device, the data input device configured to receive an input provided by a user; and

at least one computing device configured to receive the user input from the data input device and to perform a comparison between the user input and stored data associated with at least one package to be delivered or picked up by a courier service, the at least one computing device further configured to control the door locking mechanism based on the comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises biometric information from the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the biometric information comprises at least one of a thumbprint of the user, a fingerprint of the user, a retina scan of the user or a face scan of the user.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a server configured to obtain location information on the user and to communicate the location information to the at least one computing device; and

the at least one computing device configured to determine a position of the user relative to the door using the location information from the server.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to transmit a first message through a network to a remote access device in response to the position of the user being within a predetermined proximity of the door and to receive, from the remote access device, a second message indicating whether the at least one computing device is authorized to unlock the door locking mechanism, and wherein the at least one computing device is configured to control the door locking mechanism based on the second message.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to automatically unlock the door locking mechanism for the door in response to the position of the user being within a predetermined proximity of the door.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an image capture device configured to capture at least one image of the user in response to a detection of a user at the door.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises a doorbell interface, wherein the detection of the user is based on an interaction of the user with the doorbell interface.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to transmit the captured image through a network to a remote access device and to receive, from the remote access device, a message indicating whether the at least one computing device is authorized to unlock the door locking mechanism, and wherein the at least one computing device is configured to control the door locking mechanism based on the message.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the door is configured to permit access to an interior portion of a building, and the system further comprises a display screen located in the interior portion of the building, the display screen configured to display the at least one image from the image capture device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a power converter to provide power to one or more components of the user interface, the power converter is coupled to a power supply configured to provide power to a doorbell interface.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display screen and a camera, the user interface configured to provide a two-way communication channel between the user and a system operator at a remote access device using the display screen and the camera.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display screen, the display screen is configured to provide at least one of age information or identity information to the user about a recipient of the at least one package.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of age information or identity information includes an image of an identification card of the recipient of the at least one package.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to provide the user with a message having additional information or additional instructions for the user, the message includes at least one of an audio message, a video message or a text message.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a display screen, the message is a video message displayed on at least a portion of the display screen and the user interface includes at least one option for the user to control display of the video message on the display screen.

17. A method for facilitating deliveries, comprising:

receiving a user-provided input at a user interface, the user interface positioned near a door;

comparing, by at least one computing device, the user-provided input to stored data associated with at least one package to be delivered or picked up by a courier service;

automatically controlling a door locking mechanism for the door based on the comparing, the door locking mechanism having a locked position and an unlocked position; and

moving, by the user, the door from a closed position to an open position after the door locking mechanism transitions to an unlocked position, the user delivering or picking up the at least one package when the door is in the open position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving the user-provided input includes receiving biometric information from the user, the biometric information including at least one of a thumbprint of the user, a fingerprint of the user, a retina scan of the user or a face scan of the user.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

obtaining, by a server, location information on the user;

communicating, by the server, the location information on the user to the at least one computing device; and

determining, by the at least one computing device, a position of the user relative to the door based on the location information from the server.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting, by the at least one computing device, a first message through a network to a remote access device in response to the position of the user being within a predetermined proximity of the door;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, a second message from the remote access device indicating whether the at least one computing device is authorized to unlock the door locking mechanism; and

controlling, by the at least one computing device, the door locking mechanism based on the second message.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving, by the at least one computing device, the door locking mechanism to the unlocked position in response to the position of the user being within a predetermined proximity of the door.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting a presence of a user at the door; and

capturing an image of the user in response to the detecting.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the detecting is based on the user interaction with a doorbell interface.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

transmitting the captured image through a network to a remote access device;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, a message from the remote access device indicating whether the at least one computing device is authorized to move the door locking mechanism to the unlocked position; and

controlling, by the at least one computing device, the door locking mechanism based on the message.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing to the user at least one of age information or identity information about a recipient of the at least one package via a display screen of the user interface.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one of age information or identity information includes an image of an identification card of the recipient of the at least one package.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the user with a message having additional information or additional instructions for the user via the user interface, the message includes at least one of an audio message, a video message or a text message.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the user interface comprises a display screen, the message is a video message displayed on at least a portion of the display screen and the user interface includes at least one option for the user to control display of the video message on the display screen.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising leaving, by the user, a message regarding the at least one package with the user interface, the message includes at least one of an audio message, a video message or a text message.

30. The method of claim 17, further comprising opening a two-way communication channel between the user at the user interface and a system operator at a remote access device, wherein the two-way communication channel permits the system operator to provide information to the user.