Systems and Methods for Establishing an Account of a User at a Locker Bank

• US 20150106293A1
• Filed: 10/14/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Robinson, Kalin, Carder, David
• Application Number:
  US14/514,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106293A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/339
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data

Abstract

A system, according to various embodiments, is adapted for facilitating the creation of a consignee account with a carrier at a locker bank. In particular embodiments, the system is adapted to use the locker bank to facilitate delivery of a parcel to an unregistered consignee at a locker bank and, during the course of the delivery transaction, facilitate the creation of an account for the previously unregistered consignee at the locker bank. This may allow the consignee to receive future notifications regarding other parcels that the carrier may deliver to the consignee.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling a consignee to create a consignee account associated with a carrier, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first indication that delivery of one or more parcels is not possible to the consignee at a primary delivery location;

determining, by a processor, a suitable locker bank location based at least in part on the primary delivery location;

facilitating delivery of the parcel to the suitable locker bank location;

receiving, by a processor, from a computing device associated with the suitable locker bank location, a first request to deliver the one or more parcels to the suitable locker bank location;

at least partially in response to receiving the first request, providing access, by a processor, to one or more lockers at the suitable locker bank location;

receiving, by a processor, a second indication that the one or more parcels have been placed in a particular one of the one or more lockers;

at least partially in response to receiving the second indication, associating, by a processor, the one or more parcels with the particular one of the one or more lockers;

receiving, by a processor, from a consignee at the computing device associated with the suitable locker bank, a second request to retrieve the one or more parcels from the particular one of the one or more lockers;

at least partially in response to receiving the second request, confirming an identity, by a processor, of the consignee; and

at least partially in response to confirming the identity of the consignee;

facilitating, by a processor, the release of the one or more parcels from the particular one of the one or more lockers to the consignee; and

enabling the consignee to create the consignee account associated with the carrier.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

confirming the identity of the consignee comprises determining one or more pieces of identifying information associated with the consignee; and

the computer-implemented method further comprises;

receiving, from the consignee, a request to create the consignee account; and

at least partially in response to receiving the request, creating the consignee account and associating one or more of the one or more pieces of identifying information with the consignee account.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

receiving an indication that a second parcel is scheduled for delivery at an address associated with the consignee; and

at least partially in response to receiving the indication, notifying the consignee of the scheduled delivery via the consignee account.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

at least partially in response to notifying the consignee of the scheduled delivery, enabling the consignee to request facilitation of an action selected from a group consisting of;

i. redirecting the second parcel to a delivery location other than the address associated with the consignee; and

ii. releasing the parcel at the address associated with the consignee without requiring a signature.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further storing computer-executable instructions for:

receiving, from the consignee, a request to facilitate redirection of the second parcel to the delivery location other than the address associated with the consignee; and

at least partially in response to receiving the request, facilitating redirection of the second parcel to the delivery location other than the address associated with the consignee.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

confirming the identity of the consignee comprises;

receiving, by a processor, one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the one or more parcels;

receiving, by a processor, via a card reader associated with the computing device associated with the suitable locker bank location, input of an identification card associated with the consignee;

at least partially in response to receiving the input of the identification card;

verifying, by a processer, an authenticity of the identification card; and

determining, by a processor, one or more pieces of identifying information associated with the consignee;

at least partially in response to verifying the authenticity of the identification card and determining the one or more pieces of identifying information, comparing, by a processor, the one or more pieces of package level detail information with the one or more pieces of identifying information;

at least partially in response to comparing the one or more pieces of package level detail information with the one or more pieces of identifying information, determining, by a processor, whether at least a threshold number of the one or more pieces of identifying information are substantially similar to the one or more pieces of package level detail information; and

at least partially in response to determining that at least the threshold number of the one or more pieces of identifying information are substantially similar to the one or more pieces of package level detail information, confirming, by a processor, the identity of the consignee; and

the computer-implemented further comprises;

receiving a request from the consignee to create the consignee account; and

at least partially in response to receiving the request to create the consignee account, facilitating creation of the consignee account and associating one or more of the one or more pieces of identifying information with the consignee account.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein:

the one or more pieces of package level detail information comprise a last name of the consignee and an address of the consignee.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

enabling the consignee, by a processor, to provide one or more parcel redirection preferences for a future parcel scheduled for delivery to the address of the consignee.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

confirming the identity of the consignee comprises;

receiving, by a processor, from the consignee, a mobile telephone number associated with the consignee;

determining, based at least in part on the mobile telephone number, one or more pieces of identifying information associated with the consignee;

receiving, by a processor, one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the one or more parcels;

comparing, by a processor, the one or more pieces of package level detail information with the one or more pieces of identifying information;

at least partially in response to comparing the one or more pieces of package level detail information with the one or more pieces of identifying information, determining, by a processor, whether at least a threshold number of the one or more pieces of identifying information are substantially similar to the one or more pieces of package level detail information;

at least partially in response to determining that at least the threshold number of the one or more pieces of identifying information are substantially similar to the one or more pieces of package level detail information, confirming the identity of the consignee; and

at least partially in response to confirming the identity of the consignee, transmitting a notification to the consignee, via the mobile telephone number, prompting the consignee to create the consignee account.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further storing computer-executable instructions for:

at least partially in response to transmitting the notification, receiving, from the consignee, a request to create the consignee account;

at least partially in response to receiving the request to create the consignee account;

facilitating creation of the consignee account; and

associating one or more of the one or more pieces of identifying information and the mobile telephone number with the consignee account.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:

receiving original delivery location information for the parcel;

receiving geographic history information for the consignee, the geographic history information comprising information regarding one or more locations visited by the consignee in the past on a regular basis;

using the original delivery location information and the geographic history information to determine whether the consignee has visited the original delivery location on a regular basis; and

at least partially in response to determining that the consignee has visited the original delivery location on a regular basis, confirming the identity of the consignee.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:

receiving a current location of the consignee from a computing device associated with the consignee;

using the current location of the consignee to confirm that the consignee is at the suitable locker bank location; and

at least partially in response to confirming that the consignee is at the suitable locker bank location, confirming the identity of the consignee.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:

receiving a phone number from the consignee, the phone number being associated with a particular mobile phone associated with the consignee;

using the phone number to determine a current location of the mobile phone;

receiving a current location of the mobile phone;

using the current location of the mobile phone to confirm that the mobile phone is at the suitable locker bank location; and

at least partially in response to confirming that the mobile phone is at the suitable locker bank location, confirming the identity of the consignee.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:

receiving a current location of the consignee from a social media account associated with the consignee;

using the current location of the consignee to confirm that the consignee is at the suitable locker bank location; and

at least partially in response to confirming that the consignee is at the suitable locker bank location, confirming the identity of the consignee.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:

receiving identifying data from a mobile device associated with the individual, the identifying data being unique to the individual; and

using the identifying data to confirm the identity of the consignee.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:

receiving first identifying information associated with an electronic delivery notification device that was left at the primary delivery location when an attempt was made to deliver the parcel to the primary delivery location;

using an automated system at the suitable locker bank to receive second identifying information from an electronic delivery notification device in the possession of the consignee;

determining whether the first identifying information matches the second identifying information; and

in response to determining that the first identifying information matches the second identifying information, confirming the identity of the consignee.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for:

receiving, from a consignee at a computing device associated with a particular locker bank, a request to retrieve a parcel from the particular locker bank, the parcel having a consignee and currently being stored in a particular locker at the particular locker bank;

retrieving one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the parcel;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, confirming an identity of the consignee based at least in part on the one or more pieces of package level detail information;

at least partially in response to confirming the identity of the consignee;

facilitating a release of the parcel from the particular locker to the consignee; and

prompting the consignee to create a consignee account associated with one or more particular carriers;

receiving, from the consignee, a second request to create the consignee account; and

at least partially in response to receiving the second request, facilitating creation of the consignee account and associating one or more of the one or more pieces of package level detail information with the consignee account.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the one or more of the one or more pieces of package level detail information comprises an address of the consignee; and

the non-transitory computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions for;

enabling the consignee to use the computing device associated with the particular locker bank to provide additional account information;

receiving the additional account information from the consignee; and

at least partially in response to receiving the additional account information, associating the additional consignee account information with the consignee account.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the additional account information comprises:

an account password; and

at least one piece of account contact information selected from the group consisting of;

i. an email address of the consignee; and

ii. a mobile telephone number of the consignee.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the one or more of the one or more pieces of package level detail information comprises an address of the consignee; and

the non-transitory computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions for;

enabling the consignee to use the computing device associated with the particular locker bank to provide at least one piece of consignee contact information;

receiving the at least one piece of consignee contact information from the consignee; and

at least partially in response to receiving the at least one piece of consignee contact information;

associating the at least one piece of consignee contact information with the consignee account; and

using the at least one piece of consignee contact information to enable the consignee to provide additional account information.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, further storing computer-executable instructions for:

receiving an indication that a second parcel is scheduled for delivery at the address of the consignee; and

at least partially in response to receiving the indication that the second parcel is scheduled for delivery at the address of the consignee, notifying the consignee of the scheduled delivery via the consignee account.

22. A computer system for facilitating consignee account creation comprising:

at least one processor, wherein the computer system is configured for;

receiving, from the consignee at a computing device associated with a particular locker bank, a request to retrieve a parcel from the particular locker bank, the parcel being associated with the consignee and currently being stored in a particular locker at the particular locker bank;

retrieving one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the parcel;

determining, based at least in part on the one or more pieces of package level detail, whether the consignee is a subscribed consignee having a consignee account associated with a carrier responsible for handling the parcel;

at least partially in response to determining that the consignee is a subscribed consignee, substantially automatically confirming an identity of the consignee;

at least partially in response to determining that the consignee is an unsubscribed consignee;

prompting the consignee to provide identification;

receiving the identification from the consignee;

at least partially in response to receiving the identification, determining, based at least in part on the identification, one or more pieces of identifying information associated with the consignee;

at least partially in response to determining the one or more pieces of identifying information, confirming the identity of the consignee based at least in part on the one or more pieces of package level detail information and the one or more pieces of identifying information;

at least partially in response to confirming the identity of the consignee;

facilitating, a release of the parcel from the particular locker to the consignee; and

enabling the unsubscribed consignee to create a consignee account;

receiving a request from the unsubscribed consignee to create the consignee account; and

at least partially in response to receiving the request to create the consignee account;

facilitating creation of the consignee account; and

associating one or more pieces of information with the consignee account, the one or more pieces of information being selected from the group consisting of;

i. one or more of the one or more pieces of package level detail information; and

ii. one or more of the one or more pieces of identifying information.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein:

the identification comprises an identification card; and

the computer system is further configured for;

determining an authenticity of the identification card; and

at least partially in response to confirming the authenticity of the identification card, determining the one or more pieces of identifying information from the identification card, the one or more pieces of identifying information comprising an address of the consignee and a last name of the consignee.

24. The computer system of claim 22, wherein:

the identification comprises a mobile telephone number; and

the computer system is further configured for;

providing a PIN number to the consignee by transmitting the PIN number using the mobile telephone number;

receiving input of the PIN number from the consignee;

at least partially in response to receiving the input of the PIN number, facilitating, the release of the parcel from the particular locker to the consignee; and

providing information to the consignee for completing creation of the consignee account using the mobile telephone number.

25. The computer system of claim 24, the computer system being further configured for:

receiving, from a mobile computing device associated with the mobile telephone number, additional account information comprising a username and password; and

at least partially in response to receiving the additional account information, associating the additional account information with the consignee account.