Method and system using sms notification for facilitating delivery of goods

• US 20040015393A1
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fatt Chee Fong, Guangquan Mo, Gunawan Lauw, Hon Chew Lee, Xiao Feng Zhang, Yu Pern Yeh
• Original Assignee: Fatt Chee Fong, Guangquan Mo, Gunawan Lauw, Hon Chew Lee, Xiao Feng Zhang, Yu Pern Yeh
• Inventors: Fong, Fatt Chee, Lauw, Gunawan, Mo, Guangquan, Yeh, Yu Pern, Zhang, Xiao Feng, Lee, Hon Chew
• Application Number:
  US10/380,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015393A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

The present system facilitates delivery of goods by providing a locker module at a location near a customer'"'"'s residential site. For a vendor to deliver a good to the customer, the vendor leases a unit in the locker module from the system controller by accessing the system controller'"'"'s web site and providing details of the customer and a delivery agent. The vendor then modifies the delivery agent to make the delivery. The delivery agent provides the system controller the particulars of its delivery person. The designated delivery person accesses the leased locker unit using a registered smart card. The delivery person then places the goods in the designated locker unit. The system controller notifies the customer of the delivered good by sending an SMS message to the customer'"'"'s mobile phone, the SMS message providing the location of the locker module and a unique pin number. The customer accesses the locker unit by entering the pin number.

Claims

1. A locker system for facilitating a delivery of goods comprising:

a locker module having a plurality of locker units, a locker controller, a user interfacing device, a credentialing device, and a device for receiving and transmitting signals;

a system controller having an application server, a database, a device for receiving and transmitting signals for communicating with said locker module, and a device for automatically sending out SMS messages, said application server communicably connected to a network.

2. The locker system as recited in claim 1 wherein said network is Internet.

3. The locker system as recited in claim 1 wherein said credentialing device is a smart card reader.

4. The locker system as recited in claim 1 wherein said user interfacing device is a computer monitor and a keypad.

5. A method of facilitating a delivery of goods, said method involving a customer, a vendor, and a delivery agent, said delivery agent having a plurality of delivery persons, said vendor having to deliver a good to said customer using said delivery agent, said method comprising:

providing a locker module having a plurality of locker units;

providing a registration platform for registering said delivery agent, and at least one delivery person;

allowing a registered delivery person to lease a locker unit by having said delivery person provide a set of particulars to said locker module, said particulars including at least a mobile phone number of said customer;

providing said registered delivery person access to a locker unit when said particulars are provided to said locker module such that said good may be placed inside said locker unit;

sending an SMS message to a mobile phone having said entered mobile phone number, said SMS message providing at least a notification to pick up the good, a location of said locker module, and a unique pin number; and

allowing a person access to said locker unit containing said good when said unique pin number is provided to said locker module.

6. A method of facilitating a delivery of goods, said method involving a customer, a vendor, and a delivery agent, said delivery agent having a plurality of delivery persons, said vendor having to deliver a good to said customer using said delivery agent, said method comprising:

providing a locker module having a plurality of locker units;

providing a registration platform for registering said vendor, delivery agent, and at least one delivery person;

allowing a registered vendor to lease a locker unit by having said vendor provide a set of particulars to said locker module, said particulars including at least a mobile phone number of said customer;

providing a unique transaction number to said vendor;

providing said registered delivery person access to a locker unit when said transaction number is provided to said locker module such that said good may be placed inside said locker unit;

sending an SMS message to the mobile phone having said entered mobile phone number, said SMS message providing at least a notification to pick up the good, a location of said locker module, and a unique pin number; and

allowing a person access to said locker unit containing said good when said unique pin number is provided to said locker module.