Automatically caching and sending electronic signatures

• US 10,373,096 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Duquene, Joel, Johnson, Jr., Morris S., Jones, II, Shelton M., Miller, Adrienne Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeroual, Omar
• Application Number:
  US15/442,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20180247252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for automatically caching and sending electronic signatures is provided. The method includes storing, by a mobile device, a digital signature, wherein the digital signature is associated with information relating to an expected delivery at an expected location, and wherein the mobile device is located within a proximity of the expected location. The method further includes detecting, by the mobile device, that a delivery service has arrived at the expected location with a package. The method further includes, in response to determining, by the mobile device, that the package corresponds to the expected delivery, authorizing, by the mobile device, the package to be left at the expected location by transmitting the digital signature to a delivery device associated with the delivery service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing, by one or more computer processors in a mobile device, a digital signature, wherein the digital signature is associated with information relating to an expected delivery at an expected location, and wherein the mobile device is located within a proximity of the expected location;

detecting, by one or more computer processors in the mobile device, that a delivery service has arrived at the expected location with a package; and

in response to determining, by one or more processors in the mobile device, that the package corresponds to the expected delivery and that an intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package, authorizing, by one or more processors in the mobile device, the package to be left at the expected location by transmitting the digital signature to a delivery device associated with the delivery service.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the digital signature includes a tag with information relating to the expected delivery, wherein the tag is utilized in determining that the package corresponds to the expected delivery, and wherein the information relating to the expected delivery includes a tracking number, an order number, a merchant or seller, a time of purchase, a delivery company, and an expected date for delivery.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting that a delivery service has arrived at the expected location with a package includes one of the following:

detecting, by one or more processors in the mobile device, a sound emitted by a doorbell or a knocking sound on a door;

receiving, by one or more processors in the mobile device, an indication from a smart doorbell that a delivery service has arrived with the package;

receiving, by one or more processors in the mobile device, an input from a security camera;

or

receiving, by one or more processors in the mobile device, a transmission from the delivery device relating to the package.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the digital signature to the delivery device is performed using one of the following:

near-field communication (NFC), WiFi, email, short message service (SMS), or Bluetooth.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package comprises determining a proximity value of the intended recipient in relation to the expected location, wherein the proximity value is determined based on one of the following:

a location of the mobile device,

whether the mobile device is connected to a same network as a smart doorbell installed at the expected location;

whether a movement of the mobile device has been detected by the network;

or

whether a Bluetooth device associated with the intended recipient is within connectivity range of the smart doorbell.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein detecting that the intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package further comprises determining one of the following:

whether a security system is armed;

whether any movements are detected inside a home by one or more motion detectors or one or more security cameras;

whether water is running inside the home;

or

whether any appliances inside the home are being used.

7. A computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer readable storage media are not transitory signals per se, the stored program instructions comprising;

program instructions to store, by a mobile device, a digital signature, wherein the digital signature is associated with information relating to an expected delivery at an expected location, and wherein the mobile device is located within a proximity of the expected location;

program instructions to detect, by the mobile device, that a delivery service has arrived at the expected location with a package; and

program instructions to, in response to determining, by the mobile device, that the package corresponds to the expected delivery and that an intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package, authorize, by the mobile device, the package to be left at the expected location by transmitting the digital signature to a delivery device associated with the delivery service.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the digital signature includes a tag with information relating to the expected delivery, wherein the tag is utilized in determining that the package corresponds to the expected delivery, and wherein the information relating to the expected delivery includes a tracking number, an order number, a merchant or seller, a time of purchase, a delivery company, and an expected date for delivery.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to detect that a delivery service has arrived at the expected location with a package include one of the following:

program instructions to detect, by the mobile device, a sound emitted by a doorbell or a knocking sound on a door;

program instructions to receive, by the mobile device, an indication from a smart doorbell that a delivery service has arrived with the package;

program instructions to receive, by the mobile device, an input from a security camera;

or

program instructions to receive, by the mobile device, a transmission from the delivery device relating to the package.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the transmitting of the digital signature to the delivery device is performed using one of the following:

near-field communication (NFC), WiFi, email, short message service (SMS), or Bluetooth.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein detecting that the intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package comprises determining a proximity value of the intended recipient in relation to the expected location, wherein the proximity value is determined based on one of the following:

a location of the mobile device,

whether the mobile device is connected to a same network as a smart doorbell installed at the expected location;

whether a movement of the mobile device has been detected by the network;

or

whether a Bluetooth device associated with the intended recipient is within connectivity range of the smart doorbell.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein detecting that the intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package further comprises determining one of the following:

whether a security system is armed;

whether any movements are detected inside a home by one or more motion detectors or one or more security cameras;

whether water is running inside the home;

or

whether any appliances inside the home are being used.

13. A computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the stored program instructions comprising;

program instructions to store, by a mobile device, a digital signature, wherein the digital signature is associated with information relating to an expected delivery at an expected location, and wherein the mobile device is located within a proximity of the expected location;

program instructions to detect, by the mobile device, that a delivery service has arrived at the expected location with a package; and

program instructions to, in response to determining, by the mobile device, that the package corresponds to the expected delivery and that an intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package, authorize, by the mobile device, the package to be left at the expected location by transmitting the digital signature to a delivery device associated with the delivery service.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the digital signature includes a tag with information relating to the expected delivery, wherein the tag is utilized in determining that the package corresponds to the expected delivery, and wherein the information relating to the expected delivery includes a tracking number, an order number, a merchant or seller, a time of purchase, a delivery company, and an expected date for delivery.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions to detect that a delivery service has arrived at the expected location with a package include one of the following:

program instructions to detect, by the mobile device, a sound emitted by a doorbell or a knocking sound on a door;

program instructions to receive, by the mobile device, an indication from a smart doorbell that a delivery service has arrived with the package;

program instructions to receive, by the mobile device, an input from a security camera;

or

program instructions to receive, by the mobile device, a transmission from the delivery device relating to the package.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the transmitting of the digital signature to the delivery device is performed using one of the following:

near-field communication (NFC), WiFi, email, short message service (SMS), or Bluetooth.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein detecting that the intended recipient of the expected delivery is unavailable to sign for the package comprises determining a proximity value of the intended recipient in relation to the expected location, wherein the proximity value is determined based on one of the following:

a location of the mobile device,

whether the mobile device is connected to a same network as a smart doorbell installed at the expected location;

whether a movement of the mobile device has been detected by the network;

or

whether a Bluetooth device associated with the intended recipient is within connectivity range of the smart doorbell.