System and method for remotely coordinating the secure delivery of goods

• US 6,882,269 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DropStation, Inc., Pepperdine University
• Original Assignee: Darren Murrey
• Inventors: Moreno, Eli
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US09/905,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.73, 340/5.2, 340/5.7, 340/568.1, 340/569, 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 235/383
• US Class Current: 340/5.73
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/147 the receptacle comprising heating or cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/00 Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops B65G37/00; stacking of articles B65G57/00; removing articles from stacks B65G59/00; loading machines B65G65/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0485 Check-in, check-out devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064

Abstract

A system and process for securing goods delivered to and retrieved from a secure storage unit is provided. The system utilizes a locker having an interior into which at least one good may be inserted and secured by a door via a locking mechanism. Access to the interior of the locker is controlled by a server which is in communication with the locker via an Internet or other network connection. The server controls the accessing and operation of the locker either directly or in combination with a controller. The controller is suitably situated in a kiosk that provides user interfaces by which customers, vendors, and/or carriers access and utilize the locker. The locker may be any suitable storage container including garages, mailboxes, heated/cooled compartments, and other storage units. The kiosk may also include other vending machines and dispensing devices, the operation of which are preferably controlled by the server.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling access to a locker for storing goods, comprising:

a processor;

a user interface, connected to the processor, for establishing communications between a user and the processor;

a network connection, connecting the processor with at least one locker used to store goods; and

a communications interface, establishing a communications link between the processor and a server;

a vending machine; and

whereupon receipt of a request by a user, via the user interface, to gain access to a locker, the processor communicates the request to the server, and upon receipt of an approval from the server the processor directs the user, via the user interface to the locker to which access has been granted and unlocks a locking device securing access to the locker.

2. A system for delivering goods to and retrieving goods from a secure storage unit comprising:

a locker, further comprising an interior in which at least one good may be inserted and a first door by which access to the interior may be obtained;

a locking device attached to the locker and securing access to the interior of the locker via the first door;

a server, in communication with the locker;

a user interface, in communication with the server;

whereupon receipt of a request from a user, via the user interface, to access the interior of the locker, a server determines whether the user is authorized to access the locker and when authorized directs the locking device to unlock the first door;

wherein the system further comprises a controller, associated with the locker and in communication with the locker and the server;

wherein the controller establishes the communications between the server and the locker and, based upon instructions received from the server, controls the operation of the locking device;

wherein the controller and the user interface are located in a kiosk; and

wherein the kiosk further comprises a vending machine.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the vending machine dispenses at least one article of commerce.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the locker further comprises one of a plurality of lockers in a storage unit.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the locker further comprises at least one of a garage, a mailbox, a shipping container, a trailer, a box, a single compartment locker, a multiple compartment locker, a refrigerated locker, a heated locker, a video return locker, a self-sterilizing locker, and a clothing locker.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the locker is utilized by a single user to send and receive goods.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the locker is utilized by multiple users to send and receive goods.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the locker is located at a private residence, an apartment complex, a business, a vendor facility, a customer facility, a carrier facility, a centralized location, a transit terminal, an airport, or a shopping mall.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the locker further comprises a second door providing access to the interior of locker via the second door.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the locker is attached to a building and the first door provides access to the interior of the locker from a location outside the building and the second door provides access to the interior of the locker from within the building.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the server controls access to the interior of the locker via at least one of the first door and the second door.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the locking device further comprises at least one of an electronically activated lock, a hydraulic lock, an electrical lock, a magnetic lock, an electro-magnetic lock, an electro-mechanical lock, and a mechanical lock.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is in communication with a database containing data and content utilized by the server to control the operation of the locker and the locking device and access to the interior of the locker.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is in communication with the locker via at least one of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the wired connection further comprises an Ethernet connection.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless connection further comprises at least one established using infrared, satellite, and electromagnetic signals.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises at least one of a personal computer, a programmable logic controller, a micro-processor, and a micro-controller.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises a multi-tasking capable processor.

19. The system of claim 2, whereupon receipt of an input received from a user via the user interface, the controller communicates such inputs to the server;

whereupon the server determines which of the at least one locker the user is to be provided access thereto and provides a response indicative of the determination to the controller, whereupon the controller commands the locking device to unlock those lockers to which the user is allowed access.

20. The system of claim 2, wherein the locker further comprises at least one sensor for detecting environmental conditions and security conditions, and communicates output signals from the at least one sensor to the controller;

whereupon the controller monitors the output signals and generates an alarm when sensed conditions are other than desired.

21. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises a user interface device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the user interface device further comprises a display monitor, a keyboard and a scanner.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the scanner further comprises at least one of a retinal scanner, a fingerprint scanner, a voice scanner, a magnetic card reader, a signature pad, a bar code scanner, and an infrared data transceiver.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the user interface device utilizes a wireless connection to communicate with the server.

25. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is provided on at least one of a personal data assistant and a DIAD board.

26. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is provided via a wireless connection with at least one of a personal data assistant, a personal computing device, and a carrier DIAD board.

27. The system of claim 2, wherein the customer is notified when a delivery of a good to a locker occurs.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the notification occurs via at least one of an e-mail message, a page, a Short Message Service (SMS), a phone call, a facsimile, and web page message.

29. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is in communication with the kiosk via an Internet connection.

30. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a vendor'"'"'s device, in communication with the server, wherein the vendor'"'"'s device is utilized by a vendor to schedule a delivery of a good to the locker with the server.

31. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a consumer'"'"'s device, in communication with the server, for receiving a notification when a delivery for a consumer to a locker has occurred.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the consumer'"'"'s device is utilized by a consumer to schedule a pickup, by at least one of a carrier, a second consumer, and a vendor, of a good inserted into a locker assigned by the server for the pick-up.

33. A method for delivering goods to a customer by a carrier at a locker, comprising:

entering a carrier id into a user verification device at a kiosk associated with a storage unit, the storage unit containing at least one secured locker controlled by a server via a controller;

whereupon the server receives the carrier id number and upon verification of the carrier id number by the server, determines to which customer the carrier is scheduled to deliver goods, and provides a listing of such customers to the carrier, and upon receipt of a selection of a customer by a carrier, directs the kiosk to unlock the locker;

inserting the good into the locker; and

notifying the server of the insertion of the good into the locker.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the carrier id is entered into the user verification device using a scanner, the scanner being further comprised of at least one of a retinal scanner, a fingerprint scanner, a voice scanner, a magnetic card reader, a signature pad, a bar code scanner, and an infrared data transceiver.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the kiosk is associated with the storage unit via a remote connection.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the locker utilized by the carrier to insert the goods therein is dynamically allocated and the process further comprises:

receiving an identification of available lockers; and

selecting an available locker;

whereupon selection of an available locker by the carrier, the server directs the kiosk to unlock the locker.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the method for delivering goods to a customer further includes:

receiving an identification of the customer requesting the delivery;

determining a location of the locker to be utilized for the delivery of the good; and

assigning the locker to the delivery.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the determination of the locker to be utilized for the delivery of the goods utilizes at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of:

a preferred locker preference, an alternative locker preference, a place of business, a residence address, a type of good to be shipped, a time constraint, and time of day.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the method further comprises specifying whether a customer must sign for the good before access to the good is allowed.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting an option to pick up a good to be delivered, wherein the good is located in a locker associated with the kiosk; and

removing the good from the locker;

wherein the good was previously inserted into the locker by a customer upon establishing a shipment request with the server and obtaining access to the locker.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein notifying the customer of the delivery of the at least one good to the at least one locker further comprises sending at least one notification message selected from the group consisting of:

a page, a telephone message, an e-mail, a Short Message Service (SMS), a written message, a facsimile, and a web page message.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising notifying the server that the locker is available for subsequent use upon retrieval of the good from the locker by the customer.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising processing the request via the server to determine at which locker the goods are to be delivered and delivering the goods to the locker identified by the server.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the request is received via an internet connection between a consumer'"'"'s device and the server.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the request is received via a connection between a consumer'"'"'s device and a vendor'"'"'s device and the request is communicated to the server via a second connection between the vendor'"'"'s device and the server.

47. The method of claim 33, further comprising notifying the customer of the delivery of the good.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the method is initiated by a customer requesting delivery of goods to a locker.

36. The method of 33, wherein the locker is pre-assigned by the server.