Secure locker system and method

• US 6,862,576 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2000
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Services Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Services Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Turner, Edwin, West, Adrian Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, SABRINA A
• Application Number:
  US09/609,505
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 340/569, 345/963, 345/961, 232/17, 235/381, 235/382
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/045 for sheet shaped or pliable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

A locker system which permits secure delivery, or collection, of goods at a location and that can be associated with a single household or disposed centrally with respect to a plurality of households. A set of lockers, which may be of different sizes, capable of being in different states, e.g. ambient, chilled, frozen, and which are lockable separately, is disposed at the location. In-residence IT systems including computer means, such as servers, permit householders to place on-line orders with retailers/service providers, such as over the Internet. Prior to order placement, an appropriate locker for the size and state of the goods is reserved, such as by the household server contacting a management server via an Intranet. An access code required for unlocking the reserved locker is supplied to the household server, and forwarded to the retailer/service provider over the Internet together with the order and reserved locker location information. The retailer/service provider downloads the access code onto an electronic key, such as a smartcard, which the delivery person uses at delivery time in conjunction with a controller having an appropriate key reader. The controller with key reader identifies the reserved locker to the delivery person and unlocks it. The delivery person can then open the locker and insert the goods. Subsequent closure of the locker, relocks it and is used to indicate to the household server that the delivery has been made.

Claims

1. A computerized home shopping system comprising:

(a) a plurality of individually-lockable lockers for storage of goods,

(b) a locker control system for controlling locking and unlocking of said lockers

(c) an in-residence information technology (IT) system for enabling a householder to create an order for goods from a retailer/service provider,

(d) means operable upon creation of the order, for reserving a particular locker from said plurality of lockers for the storage of said goods upon delivery, and for allocating an access code permitting unlocking of said locker, where said locker is of an appropriate size and environment for said goods,

(e) means for forwarding said access code to a said retailer/service provider, together with said order, and

(f) means for enabling a delivery person, when delivering said goods, to enter said access code to said locker control system,

(g) said locker control system including means for interpreting said access code to indicate said locker and unlock it for use by said delivery person, and means to relock said locker after use by said delivery person and to indicate to the in-residence IT system that the delivery person has visited.

2. A locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retailer/service provider downloads the access code onto an electronic key for use by the delivery person, and wherein the interpreting means comprises a controller with a reader for reading the access code from the electronic key.

3. A locker system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronic key is a smartcard.

4. A locker system as claimed in claim 1, and for use in connection with a plurality of households with in-residence IT systems, and including a management server comprising said reserving means, and wherein the plurality of IT systems are connectable to the management server via a first network.

5. A locker system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the in-residence IT systems are connectable with the retailer/service provider via a second network.

6. A locker system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller comprises said relocking means and serves also to initiate transmission of a signal to the respective in-residence IT system indicative of the delivery person'"'"'s visit.

7. A locker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lockers are of a plurality of sizes and/or are able to provide a plurality of environmental states.

8. A locker system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said order comprises the delivery of goods requiring a chilled or frozen locker, and wherein the reserving means serves also to supply energy for chilling or freezing the reserved locker from an appropriate time prior to the delivery person'"'"'s visit.

9. A locker system as claimed in claim 1, and for use in connection with a single household, and wherein a server of the household IT system comprises said reserving means and said access code allocating means and is employed for the placing of orders with the retailer/service provider over a respective network.

10. A computerized home shopping method comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of individually-lockable lockers for storage of goods, said lockers having a locker control system for controlling locking and unlocking of said lockers

(b) creating an order for goods from a retailer/service provider using an in-residence information technology (IT) system,

(c) upon creation of the order, reserving a particular locker from said plurality of lockers for the storage of said goods upon delivery, and allocating an access code permitting unlocking of said locker, where said locker is of an appropriate size and environment for said goods,

(d) forwarding said access code to said retailer/service provider, together with said order,

(e) enabling a delivery person, when delivering said goods, to enter said access code to said locker control system,

(f) interpreting said access code to indicate said locker and unlock it for use by said delivery person, and

(g) relocking said locker after use by said delivery person and indicating to the in-residence IT system that the delivery person has visited.