PACKAGE ROOM SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20170293885A1
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Package Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Package Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Grady, James D., Pandeli, Orgesi, Pandeli, Klevis, Kostandini, Ervin, Uhlir, Kurt Brooks, Banks, Marvin, Levitt, Jared, Baker, Janet
• Granted Patent: US 11,829,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2454 Checking of authorisation of a person accessing tagged items in an EAS system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A package room system may include at least one shelf, at least one sensor configured to sense items on the at least one shelf, at least one data entry device, and at least one computer coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one data entry device. The at least one computer may be configured to receive data concerning a package from the at least one data entry device, detect, from data from the at least one sensor, a location of the package on the at least one shelf, notify a recipient of receipt of a presence of the package and the location of the package, and detect, from data from the at least one sensor, removal of the package from the at least one shelf.

Claims

1. A package room system comprising:

at least one shelf;

at least one sensor configured to sense items on the at least one shelf;

at least one data entry device; and

at least one computer coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one data entry device, the at least one computer being configured to;

receive data concerning a package from the at least one data entry device,

detect, from data from the at least one sensor, a location of the package on the at least one shelf,

notify a package recipient of a presence of the package and the location of the package, and

detect, from the data from the at least one sensor, removal of the package from the at least one shelf

2. The package room system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises at least one weight sensor; and

the data from the at least one sensor comprises data identifying the package by weight.

3. The package room system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises at least one camera; and

the data from the at least one sensor comprises data visually identifying the package.

4. The package room system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises at least one RFID sensor; and

the data from the at least one sensor comprises data identifying the package based on an RFID tag applied to the package.

5. The package room system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer is further configured to:

receive data identifying the package recipient from the at least one data entry device; and

record the removal of the package as an authorized removal based on the data identifying the package recipient.

6. The package room system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer is further configured to record the removal of the package as an unauthorized removal based on a failure to receive data identifying the package recipient from the at least one data entry device.

7. The package room system of claim 6, further comprising at least one camera configured to record in response to the removal of the package being an unauthorized removal.

8. The package room system of claim 1, further comprising at least one locking mechanism configured to restrict access to the at least one shelf

9. The package room system of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer is further configured to:

receive data identifying the package recipient from the at least one data entry device; and

unlock the at least one locking mechanism based on the data identifying the package recipient.

10. The package room system of claim 1, wherein:

the data concerning the package comprises delivery data or return data; and

the package recipient is a person designated to receive the package or a package carrier.

11. A package room management method comprising:

receiving, by at least one computer, data concerning a package from at least one data entry device;

detecting, by the at least one computer from data from at least one sensor, a location of the package on at least one shelf;

notifying, by the at least one computer, a package recipient of a presence of the package and the location of the package; and

detecting, by the at least one computer from the data from the at least one sensor, removal of the package from the at least one shelf

12. The package room management method of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises at least one weight sensor; and

the data from the at least one sensor comprises data identifying the package by weight.

13. The package room management method of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises at least one camera; and

the data from the at least one sensor comprises data visually identifying the package.

14. The package room management method of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises at least one RFID sensor; and

the data from the at least one sensor comprises data identifying the package based on an RFID tag applied to the package.

15. The package room management method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one computer, data identifying the package recipient from the at least one data entry device; and

recording, by the at least one computer, the removal of the package as an authorized removal based on the data identifying the package recipient.

16. The package room management method of claim 11, further comprising recording, by the at least one computer, the removal of the package as an unauthorized removal based on a failure to receive data identifying the package recipient from the at least one data entry device.

17. The package room management method of claim 16, further comprising recording, by at least one camera, in response to the removal of the package being an unauthorized removal.

18. The package room management method of claim 11, further comprising restricting, by at least one locking mechanism, access to the at least one shelf.

19. The package room management method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one computer, data identifying the package recipient from the at least one data entry device; and

unlocking, by the at least one computer, the at least one locking mechanism based on the data identifying the package recipient.

20. The package room management method of claim 11, wherein:

the data concerning the package comprises delivery data or return data; and

the package recipient is a person designated to receive the package or a package carrier.