Package delivery system

• US 6,480,758 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EBOX Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EBOX Incorporated
• Inventors: Stevens, John K
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US09/681,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 700/237, 700/241, 700/244, 340/825.31, 342/457
• US Class Current: 700/244
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/146 the receptacle comprising identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A package storage and delivery system includes electronically controlled lockers disposed at or near customer locations. Each locker is unlocked by a courier, preferably by means of a short-range transceiver or transmitter carried on the courier'"'"'s person. The customer can unlock the locker and receive the delivered package. Cryptographically signed communications are employed along with nonvolatile usage logs to minimize the risk of loss of a package or fraud by courier or customer. The lockers may be stackable, permitting a delivery courier to add lockers in the event a customer receives too many deliveries to fit into a single locker. Each box has, of course, a physical location, and has associated with it an address code indicative of the physical location, for example by means of a human-readable or compressed representation of the precise latitude and longitude. A package delivered to such a box preferably bears the address code. A merchant can greatly reduce the risk of credit card fraud by requiring the use of such codes for the simple reason that a fraudulent transaction may be traced to a specific physical location.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a package from a sender to a destination comprising the steps of:

determining a physical location of the destination within a coordinate system to within a predetermined accuracy;

representing the physical location of the destination by means of an address code indicative of the physical location;

communicating to a sender a request requesting delivery of a package by a sender and communicating the address code to the sender in the request;

addressing the package with information indicative of the address code;

reading the information and deriving the address code therefrom;

proceeding to the actual location defined by the address code;

electronically performing a first unlocking of a locker at the actual location;

locking the locker after the electronic unlocking;

performing a second unlocking of the locker;

removing the package from the locker; and

logging the first and second unlocking.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the coordinate system is latitude and longitude and the predetermined accuracy is that obtainable through a satellite global positioning system.

3. A method of installing a locker at a destination of a customer comprising the steps of:

determining a physical location of the destination within a coordinate system to within a predetermined accuracy;

representing the physical location of the destination by means of an address code indicative of the physical location;

communicating the address code to the customer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the coordinate system is latitude and longitude and the predetermined accuracy is that obtainable through a satellite global positioning system.