Secure Delivery Receptacle

• US 20150102903A1
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W.
• Application Number:
  US14/052,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102903A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/145 the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• 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 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like

Abstract

A secure-delivery receptacle includes a delivered-package vault having a selectively-lockable access portal controlled, at least in part, by a control circuit that also operably couples to a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-tag reader. The RFID-tag reader serves, by one approach, to read RFID tags in the immediate vicinity of the delivered-package vault. So configured, the control circuit can, for example, verify a delivery-vector RFID tag (such as an RFID tag uniquely associated with a given delivery person) and responsively unlock the selectively-lockable access portal. Also so configured, the control circuit can verify when at least one expected package RFID tag is placed within the delivered-package vault to confirm delivery of a corresponding expected package (by, for example, sending one or more messages to the intended recipient, the delivery service, the shipping party, and so forth).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a delivered-package vault having a selectively-lockable access portal;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-tag reader;

a control circuit operably coupled to the RFID-tag reader and the selectively-lockable access portal and configured to verify when at least one expected package RFID tag is placed within the delivered-package vault to confirm delivery of a corresponding expected package.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a user output operably coupled to the control circuit and wherein the control circuit is further configured to provide a human-perceptible cue upon verifying placement of the expected package RFID tag in the delivered-package vault.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the control circuit is further configured to provide a unique human-perceptible cue upon verifying placement of a plurality of expected package RFID tags in the delivered-package vault.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a closed-portal detector operably coupled to the control circuit;

wherein the control circuit is further configured to provide a unique human-perceptible cue upon verifying closure of the selectively-lockable access portal following a complete delivery of a plurality of expected packages into the delivered-package vault.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the closed-portal detector comprises, at least in part, an RFID tag that can only be read by the RFID-tag reader when the selectively-lockable access portal is closed.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless communication interface, other than the RFID-tag reader, operably coupled to the control circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is further configured to verify a delivery-vector RIFD tag and unlock the selectively-lockable access portal in response to such verification, only upon receiving a wireless message via the wireless communication interface that pre-authorizes the delivery-vector RFID tag.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the control circuit is further configured to only verify the delivery-vector RFID tag when the delivery-vector RFID tag is presented within no more than a predetermined period of time following receipt of the wireless message.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive RFID-tag information regarding the expected package RFID tag via the wireless communication interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is further configured to provide delivery information to at least one of a delivery service and a delivery recipient.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is further configured to assume an active state in response to receiving a particular message via the wireless communication interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a video component configured to facilitate making an image-based record of packages being placed inside the delivered-package vault.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the making of the image-based record as a function, at least in part, of a monitored state of the selectively-lockable access portal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a temperature sensor operably coupled to the control circuit and disposed within the delivered-package vault;

wherein the control circuit is further configured to provide notifications regarding a delivered package in the delivered-package vault as a function, at least in part, of temperatures within the delivered-package vault as sensed by the temperature sensor.

15. A method comprising:

by a control circuit that is operably coupled to a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-tag reader;

using the RFID-tag reader to verify a delivery-vector RIFD tag and unlock a selectively-lockable access portal in response to such verification;

using the RFID-tag reader to verify when at least one expected package RFID tag is placed within a delivered-package vault to confirm delivery of a corresponding expected package.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing a human-perceptible cue upon verifying placement of the expected package RFID tag in the delivered-package vault.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing a unique human-perceptible cue upon verifying closure of the selectively-lockable access portal following a complete delivery of a plurality of expected packages into the delivered-package vault.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein verifying a delivery-vector RIFD tag comprises only verifying the delivery-vector RFID tag in response to having previously received a wireless message as regards the delivery-vector RFID tag.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing delivery information to at least one of a delivery enterprise and a delivery recipient.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

using a video component to facilitate making an image-based record of packages being placed inside the delivered-package vault.