Systems and Methods for Conveying a Parcel to a Consignee, For Example, After an Unsuccessful Delivery Attempt

• US 20150106296A1
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• 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, Gillen, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US14/561,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106296A1
• 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 for redirecting a parcel from a primary delivery location (e.g., a residential address) to a locker bank is configured to redirect the parcel following an unsuccessful delivery attempt at the primary delivery location. In some embodiments, the system is configured to determine a suitable locker bank to which to redirect the parcel based on preferences received from a carrier (e.g., common carrier), shipper of the parcel, or consignee of the parcel. In various embodiments, following the unsuccessful delivery attempt, the system is configured to receive a request to deliver the parcel to the locker bank, provide access to one or more lockers at the locker bank for placement of the parcel, receive confirmation that the parcel has been placed in a particular locker at the locker bank, and associate the parcel with the particular locker.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for directing one or more parcels to a suitable locker bank location, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first indication that delivery of one or more parcels is not possible to a designated 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, at 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; and

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

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

the one or more lockers comprise one or more lockers having a first locker size and one or more lockers having a second locker size; and

the second locker size is larger than the first locker size.

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

the one or more lockers further comprise one or more lockers having a third locker size; and

the third locker size is larger than the second locker size.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising notifying one or more agents of a carrier of one or more parcels available for pickup from the suitable locker bank location.

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

receiving, by a processor, at the computing device associated with the suitable locker bank location, a second request to pick up the one or more parcels available for pickup from the suitable locker bank location;

at least partially in response to receiving the second request, providing access, by a processor, to one or more lockers containing the one or more parcels available for pickup from the suitable locker location;

receiving, by a processor, a third indication that the one or more parcels available for pickup have been removed from the one or more lockers containing the one or more parcels available for pickup; and

at least partially in response to receiving the third indication, updating tracking information, by a processor, for the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

generating, by a processor, a deadline by which a designated consignee must retrieve the one or more parcels from the particular one of the one or more lockers; and

notifying, by a processor, the designated consignee of the deadline.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, the method further comprising;

determining, by a processor, whether the deadline has passed;

determining, by a processor, whether the designated consignee has retrieved the one or more parcels from the particular one of the one or more lockers;

at least partially in response to determining that the deadline has passed and the designated consignee has not retrieved the one or more parcels from the particular one of the one or more lockers, designating, by a processor, the one or more parcels for pickup;

receiving, by a processor, at the computing device associated with the suitable locker bank location, a second request to pick up the one or more parcels;

at least partially in response to receiving the second request, providing access, by a processor, to the particular one of the one or more lockers;

receiving, by a processor, a third indication that the one or more parcels have been removed from the particular one of the one or more lockers;

at least partially in response to receiving the third indication, facilitating, by a processor, an action selected from the group consisting of;

i. facilitating a second delivery attempt of the one or more parcels to the primary delivery location; and

ii. facilitating a return of the one or more parcels to a shipper of the one or more parcels.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the one or more lockers comprises:

unlocking the one or more lockers; and

at least partially opening the one or more lockers.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by a processor, a substantially current locker availability at the suitable locker bank location; and

displaying, by a processor, the substantially current locker availability on a display associated with the suitable locker bank location.

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

receiving, from a delivery driver, a first indication that delivery of a parcel at a primary delivery location is not possible;

receiving one or more locker bank location preferences;

determining, based at least in part on the one or more locker bank location preferences, a first locker bank location;

at least partially in response to receiving the first indication that delivery of the parcel at the primary delivery location is not possible, redirecting the parcel to the first locker bank location;

receiving, from the delivery driver, a request to deliver the parcel at the first locker bank location;

at least partially in response to the request, providing access to at least a first locker having a first locker size and a second locker having a second locker size;

receiving a second indication that the parcel has been placed in the first locker; and

at least partially in response to receiving the second indication, associating the parcel with the first locker.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein:

providing access to at least the first locker and the second locker comprises unlocking the first locker and the second locker;

receiving the second indication comprises receiving an indication that the delivery driver has closed the first locker; and

the computer-implemented method further comprises locking the first locker at least partially in response to receiving the indication that the delivery driver has closed the first locker.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further storing computer-executable instructions for:

receiving, from the delivery driver, a second request to deliver a second parcel at the first locker bank location;

at least partially in response to the second request, providing access to a third locker having a first locker size, wherein providing access to the third locker comprises unlocking the third locker;

receiving a third indication that the second parcel has been placed in the second locker, wherein receiving the third indication comprises receiving an indication that the delivery driver has closed the second locker; and

at least partially in response to receiving the third indication, associating the second parcel with the second locker and locking the second locker.

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

displaying a locker identifier associated with the first locker;

enabling the delivery driver to confirm that the delivery driver placed the parcel in a locker that corresponds to the displayed locker identifier;

receiving an indication from the delivery driver that the delivery driver did not place the parcel in the locker that corresponds to the displayed locker identifier; and

at least partially in response to receiving the indication, disassociating the parcel from the first locker.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first locker size is greater than the second locker size.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first locker size is less than the second locker size.

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

determining a substantially current availability of lockers having a first locker size and lockers having a second locker size at the first locker bank location; and

displaying, on a display associated with the first locker bank, the substantially current availability.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein receiving the request to deliver the parcel at the first locker bank location comprises receiving, via a machine-readable indicia reader associated with the first locker bank location, a scan of one or more machine-readable indicia associated with the parcel.

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

generating a deadline by which a designated consignee must retrieve the parcel from the first locker bank location;

notifying the designated consignee of the deadline;

determining whether the deadline has passed;

determining whether the designated consignee has retrieved the parcel from the first locker bank location; and

at least partially in response to determining that the deadline has passed and the designated consignee has not retrieved the parcel, facilitating a pickup of the parcel from the first locker bank location.

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

enabling the delivery driver to override the redirecting the parcel to the first locker bank location;

receiving, from the delivery driver, a request to override the redirecting the parcel to the first locker bank location, the request comprising a request to redirect the parcel to a second locker bank location; and

at least partially in response to receiving the request, facilitating delivery of the parcel to the second locker bank location.

20. A computer system comprising:

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

receiving, from a delivery driver, a first request to access a computing device associated with a particular locker bank;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, enabling the delivery driver to;

deliver one or more undeliverable parcels to the particular locker bank, the one or more undeliverable parcels having been unsuccessfully delivered to one or more primary delivery locations; and

pick up one or more parcels scheduled for pickup from the particular locker bank;

receiving, from the delivery driver, a second request to deliver the one or more undeliverable parcels to the particular locker bank;

at least partially in response to receiving the second request, providing access to one or more first lockers at the particular locker bank, the one or more first lockers currently containing no parcels;

receiving a first indication that the one or more undeliverable parcels have been placed in a particular one of the one or more first lockers;

at least partially in response to receiving the first indication, associating the one or more undeliverable parcels with the particular one of the one or more first lockers;

receiving, from the delivery driver, a third request to pick up the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup from the particular locker bank;

at least partially in response to the third request, providing access to one or more second lockers currently containing the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup;

receiving a second indication that the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup have been removed from the one or more second lockers; and

at least partially in response to receiving the second indication, facilitating an action selected from the group consisting of;

i. facilitating a return of the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup to a shipper of the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup; and

ii. facilitating delivery of the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup to a primary delivery location associated with the one or more parcels scheduled for pickup.