SECURE LOCKER SYSTEM FOR THE DEPOSITION AND RETRIEVAL OF SHIPMENTS

• US 20150193732A1
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quadient Technologies France
• Original Assignee: Neopost Technologies S.A. (Quadient SA)
• Inventors: BOUZIT-BENBERNOU, Samira
• Granted Patent: US 10,776,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B65B 5/04 Packaging single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/00 Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/16 Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00209 Mailbox, i.e. container for outgoing mail
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00685 Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

A system for securely controlling deposition and retrieval of shipments (40), including a managing distribution centre, at least one electronic locker unit connected to the managing distribution centre through a communication network, and having several lockable compartments (28i) of different sizes, wherein said at least one electronic locker unit comprises a weighing shipment module (50) located inside each compartment (28i) and made up of an arrangement of several thin flexible force sensors, linked together to circuit board, located under upper bearing plate and attached to bottom of the compartment within respective active measuring areas.

Claims

1. A method for securely controlling deposition and retrieval of shipments on at least one electronic locker unit connected to a managing distribution centre through a communication network, and having several lockable compartments of different sizes, comprising the followings steps executed at the electronic locker unit:

entering an identification code of the shipment and retrieving specific information associated with the shipment;

opening a compartment of the electronic locker unit;

depositing the shipment inside the compartment;

weighing the shipment with a weighing module located inside the compartment and comparing in a processing module the measured weight with the weight included within the specific information;

locking the compartment containing the shipment; and

logging the compartment as being filled and locked upon close match and validation of comparison of the weight.

2. The method of claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises acquiring a shipment content'"'"'s shape with a shape measurement module located inside the compartment, comparing the determined shipment content'"'"'s shape with the one included within the specific information associated with the shipment and logging the compartment as being filled and locked upon close match and validation of comparisons of the weight and the shipment content'"'"'s shape.

3. The method of claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises identifying the delivery agent before entering the identification code and retrieving specific information associated with the shipment.

4. The method of claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises notifying the managing distribution centre of the safe delivery of the shipment with an electronic message linked to the identification code.

5. The method of claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises just after entering the identification code and retrieving specific information associated with the shipment, automatically indicating and/or open at least one appropriate compartment according to the dimensions and/or the weight of the shipment.

6. The method of claim 5, characterized in that the at least one appropriate compartment is indicated according to predefined preferences such as the closest available to the delivery agent.

7. The method of claim 1, characterized in that at least part of the specific information is extracted from a database available in a sender computer and sent to the managing distribution centre prior to delivery of the shipment.

8. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the determined shipment content'"'"'s shape is also compared to hazardous items listed in a surveillance bank of pictures for sending a warning message if at least one of such items is identifiable.

9. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the specific information is linked to an identification code such as a barcode or a RFID tag affixed to shipment.

10. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the specific information is included in a remote database accessible by said electronic locker unit.

11. The system for securely controlling deposition and retrieval of shipments, comprising:

a managing distribution centre,

at least one electronic locker unit connected to the managing distribution centre through a communication network, and having several lockable compartments of different sizes,

wherein said at least one electronic locker unit comprises a weighing shipment module located inside each compartment and made up of an arrangement of several thin flexible force sensors, linked together to a circuit board, located under upper bearing plate and attached to bottom of the compartment within respective active measuring areas.

12. The system of claim 11, characterized in that the estimated weight of shipment derives from individual results provided respectively by said flexible force sensors.

13. The system of claim 12, characterized in that all the individual measuring results are added to provide the final estimated weight of shipment.

14. The system of claim 11, characterized in that said at least one electronic locker unit further comprises a shape measurement module located inside each compartment for acquiring a shipment content'"'"'s shape.

15. The system of claim 14, characterized in that said shape measurement module comprises a terahertz vision device mounted on the ceiling of compartment for covering any shipment resting on said upper bearing plate.