SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SYNCHRONIZING DELIVERY OF RELATED PARCELS VIA A COMPUTERIZED LOCKER BANK

• US 20180060812A1
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• 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, Gillen, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,600,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• 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 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like

Abstract

A synchronized delivery system for delivering parcels directly to an alternate delivery location such as a locker bank in lieu of making any delivery attempt at a primary delivery location such as a home or office. The system may deliver parcels directly to the alternate delivery location when a related parcel is currently stored at the alternate delivery location awaiting pickup. A related parcel may include a parcel addressed to the same consignee, to a related consignee (e.g., such as a neighbor, roommate, or spouse), or to another authorized to pick up parcels on behalf of the consignee. When delivering parcels to alternate deliver locations, the system may facilitate a grouping of related parcels in a single locker.

Claims

1. A direct-to-locker bank delivery system comprising:

a computerized locker bank comprising;

a plurality of selectively securable locker compartments, each of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments comprising one or more doors and one or more locking mechanisms; and

one or more locker bank computers comprising one or more processors and memory; and

one or more remote logistics servers comprising one or more processors and memory, wherein;

the memory stores;

first package level detail information for a first parcel, the first package level detail information comprising data associated with a first consignee, including a delivery address and first consignee identification information;

package level detail information for one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank, wherein the package level detail information comprises, for each respective parcel of the plurality of parcels, consignee information for the respective parcel; and

the one or more processors are configured to;

receive an indication that the first parcel is scheduled for delivery to the delivery address;

determine whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel based on the package level detail information for the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank and the first package level detail information;

in response to determining that the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise the one or more second parcels, route the first parcel to the computerized locker bank without attempting delivery of the first parcel at the primary delivery location;

receive a request to store the first parcel in the computerized locker bank; and

in response to receiving the request, operate the one or more locking mechanisms on a particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments to open the one or more doors.

2. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the first package level detail information further comprises one or more dimensions of the first parcel;

the one or more pieces of package level detail information for the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank further comprise, for each respective parcel of the plurality of parcels, one or more dimensions of the respective parcel; and

the one or more processors are further configured to;

determine, based on the one or more dimensions of the first parcel and one or more dimensions of the one or more second parcels, whether a particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments is sufficiently large to accommodate both the first parcel and the one or more second parcels; and

in response to determining that the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments is sufficiently large to accommodate both the first parcel and the one or more second parcels, facilitate placement of the first parcel and the one or more second parcels in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments.

3. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

routing the first parcel to the computerized locker bank without attempting delivery of the first parcel at the primary delivery location comprises modifying a delivery route of a delivery vehicle scheduled to deliver the first parcel to the primary delivery location.

4. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

routing the first parcel to the computerized locker bank without attempting delivery of the first parcel at the primary delivery location comprises modifying tracking information associated with the first parcel to include an updated destination of the computerized locker bank; and

the one or more processors are further configured to store the modified tracking information in memory.

5. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise the one or more second parcels based on one or more business rules associated with a logistics provider that is facilitating delivery of the first parcel;

the one or more business rules comprise a business rule to route the first parcel directly to the computerized locker bank without attempting delivery of the first parcel at the primary delivery location in response to determining that the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise a parcel having a consignee that is a neighbor of the first consignee.

6. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise the one or more second parcels based on whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise a parcel having a consignee that is authorized to retrieve parcels from the computerized locker bank on behalf of the first consignee.

7. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 6, wherein:

the one or more processors are further configured to;

receive, from the consignee, a request to authorize one or more individuals to pick up parcels from the computerized locker bank on behalf of the consignee;

in response to receiving the request, update data associated with the consignee to include the one or more individuals authorized to retrieve the parcels on behalf of the consignee; and

store the updated data in memory.

8. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable the consignee to provide a selection of one or more unauthorized individuals that are not authorized to pick up parcels from the computerized locker bank on behalf of the consignee.

9. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise the one or more second parcels based on whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise a parcel having a second consignee; and

the second consignee is the first consignee.

10. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the direct-to-locker bank delivery system further comprises a network of a plurality of computerized locker banks; and

the computerized locker bank is a particular computerized locker bank in the network of the plurality of computerized locker banks.

11. A computer-implemented method of facilitating delivery of a first parcel to a locker bank, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, at a logistics server, a request to deliver a first parcel to a first location;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, determining, by one or more processors, for at least one second location, whether one or more second parcels currently stored at the at least one second location are associated with the first parcel, wherein the at least one second location comprises;

a locker bank comprising;

a plurality of selectively securable locker compartments, each of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments comprising one or more doors and one or more locking mechanisms; and

one or more locker bank computers comprising one or more processors and memory;

in response to determining that the one or more second parcels are associated with the first parcel, routing, by one or more processors, the first parcel to the second location;

receiving, by one or more processors, a request to deliver the first parcel to the computerized locker bank at the second location; and

in response to receiving the request, operating, by one or more processors, the one or more locking mechanisms on a particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments to open the one or more doors.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein:

the first location is the at least one second location;

the first parcel has a first consignee; and

determining whether one or more second parcels currently stored at the at least one second location are associated with the first parcel comprises determining whether the one or more second parcels have a second consignee selected from a group consisting of;

i. a neighbor of the first consignee;

ii. an individual that shares a primary delivery address with the first consignee; and

iii. the first consignee.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

retrieving, by one or more processors, first package level detail information for the first parcel, the first package level detail information comprising one or more first dimensions;

retrieving, by one or more processors, second package level detail information for the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel, the second package detail level information comprising one or more second dimensions;

determining, by one or more processors, based on the one or more first dimensions and the one or more second dimensions, whether a particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments is sufficiently large to accommodate both the first parcel and the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel; and

in response to determining that the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments is sufficiently large to accommodate both the first parcel and the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel, facilitating placement, by one or more processors, of the first parcel and the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel are currently stored in a second particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments; and

facilitating placement of the first parcel and the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments comprises;

operating, by one or more processors, the one or more locking mechanisms on the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments to open the one or more doors;

operating, by one or more processors, the one or more locking mechanisms on the second particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments to open the one or more doors;

facilitating a transfer, by one or more processors, of the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel from the second particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments to the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments; and

facilitating placement, by one or more processors, of the first parcel in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments with the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel are currently stored in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments; and

facilitating placement of the first parcel and the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments comprises;

operating, by one or more processors, the one or more locking mechanisms on the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments to open the one or more doors; and

facilitating placement, by one or more processors, of the first parcel in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments with the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein:

the first location is a primary delivery location of the first parcel;

the first parcel has a first consignee; and

determining whether one or more second parcels currently stored at the at least one second location are associated with the first parcel comprises determining whether the one or more second parcels have a second consignee selected from a group consisting of;

i. a neighbor of the first consignee;

ii. an individual that shares the primary delivery address with the first consignee; and

iii. the first consignee.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein:

the method comprises determining whether one or more second parcels currently stored at the at least one second location are associated with the first parcel at a time while the first parcel is loaded on a delivery vehicle and en route to the primary delivery location, but prior to a delivery attempt of the first parcel at the primary delivery location.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein:

the method comprises determining whether one or more second parcels currently stored at the at least one second location are associated with the first parcel at a time prior to the first parcel being placed on a delivery vehicle for delivery to the primary delivery location.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein routing the first parcel to the second location comprises routing the first parcel to the second location prior to a delivery attempt of the first parcel at the primary delivery location.

20. A locker delivery system comprising:

a computerized locker bank comprising;

a plurality of selectively securable locker compartments, each of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments comprising one or more doors and one or more locking mechanism; and

one or more locker bank computers comprising one or more processors and memory; and

one or more remote logistics servers comprising one or more processors and memory, wherein;

the memory stores;

first package level detail information for a first parcel, the first package level detail information comprising data associated with a first consignee and one or more first dimensions of the first parcel;

one or more pieces of package level detail information for one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank, wherein the one or more pieces of package level detail information comprise, for each respective parcel of the plurality of parcels, consignee information for each respective parcel and one or more second dimensions of each respective parcel; and

the one or more processors are configured to;

receive an indication that the first parcel is scheduled for delivery at a primary delivery location;

determine whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel based on the one or more pieces of package level detail information for the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank and the first package level detail information, wherein determining whether the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel comprises determining whether any of the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank have a consignee selected from a group consisting of;

1. a neighbor of the first consignee;

2. an individual that shares the primary delivery address with the first consignee; and

3. the first consignee;

in response to determining that the one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank comprise the one or more second parcels, route the first parcel to the computerized locker bank without attempting delivery of the first parcel at the primary delivery location;

receive a request to deliver the first parcel to the computerized locker bank;

in response to receiving the request, determine, based on the one or more first dimensions and the one or more second dimensions, whether a particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments is sufficiently large to accommodate both the first parcel and the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel;

determine which of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments is currently storing the one or more second parcels;

operate, the one or more locking mechanisms on the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments to open the one or more doors;

operate the one or more locking mechanisms on the selectively securable locker compartment that is currently storing the one or more second parcels to open the one or more doors;

facilitate a transfer of the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel from the selectively securable locker compartment that is currently storing the one or more second parcels to the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments; and

facilitate placement of the first parcel in the particular one of the plurality of selectively securable locker compartments along with the one or more second parcels associated with the first parcel.