Method and system for facilitating delivery and pickup of goods

• US 6,961,711 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2000
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Singapore Post Limited
• Original Assignee: Fong Fatt Chee
• Inventors: Chee, Fong Fatt
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US10/088,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 232/17, 232/19, 232/20, 232/21, 232/27, 340/569
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

The present system facilitates delivery and pickup of goods by providing a locker module at a location near a customer'"'"'s residential site. For a vendor to deliver a good to the customer, the vendor leases a unit in the locker module from the system controller by accessing the system controller'"'"'s website and providing details of the customer and a delivery agent. The vendor then notifies the delivery agent to make the delivery. The delivery agent provides the system controller the particulars of its delivery person. The designated delivery person accesses the leased locker unit using a registered smart card and delivers the good. The system controller notifies the customer of the delivered good. The customer accesses the locker unit containing the good by using a registered smart card.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a delivery and pickup of goods comprising:

a plurality of locker modules, each of said locker modules having a plurality of locker units, a locker controller, a user interfacing device, a user-identifying device, and a remote receiving and transmitting device;

a system controller independent from the plurality of locker modules, the system controller having an application server, a database server, and a remote receiving and transmitting device for communicating with said remote receiving and transmitting device of said locker modules;

a customer'"'"'s PC terminal communicably connected to said system controller;

a vendor'"'"'s PC terminal communicably connected to said system controller; and

a delivery agent'"'"'s PC terminal communicably connected to said system controller;

wherein said system controller is adapted to facilitate leasing of said locker units by registered parties for delivery or pickup of a good, said registered parties including a customer, a vendor and a delivery agent.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said system controller is further adapted to provide login identification to each of said registered parties based upon particulars received from said registered parties, said login identification being associated with a smart card and a pin number of each of said registered parties.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said system controller is further adapted to provide said pin number and information on said smart card to said locker controller for said leasing.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said system controller is further adapted to enable said registered parties to obtain status of said delivery or said pickup, said status comprising a delivery record of a particular delivery person and transaction details.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said system controller is further adapted to allow special access to said locker unit by said registered parties when a wrong delivery or a wrong item is placed into said locker unit.

6. A method of making a delivery or pickup of a good to a customer using a system for facilitating a delivery and pickup of goods comprising:

a plurality of locker modules, each of said locker modules having a plurality of locker units, a locker controller, a user interfacing device, a user-identifying device, and a remote receiving and transmitting device;

a system controller independent from the plurality of locker modules, the system controller having an application server, a database server, and a remote receiving and transmitting device for communicating with said remote receiving and transmitting device of said locker modules;

wherein said system controller is adapted to facilitate leasing of said locker units by registered parties for delivery or pickup of a good, said registered parties including a customer, a vendor and a delivery agent;

a customer'"'"'s PC terminal communicably connected to said system controller;

a vendor'"'"'s PC terminal communicably connected to said system controller; and

a delivery agent'"'"'s PC terminal communicably connected to said system controller, said method comprising;

receiving, by said system controller, a request for use of a locker unit for said delivery or said pickup of said good;

reserving, by said system controller, said locker unit in response to said receiving step; and

notifying, by said system controller, said customer after said delivery of said good or of said locker unit for drop off of said good for said pick-up.

7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the step of notifying said vendor or said delivery agent of a drop off of said good.

8. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the step of registering, by said system controller, particulars of said customer, said vendor, said delivery agent, and delivery persons prior to said receiving step.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the step of providing, by said system controller, login identification to each of said registered parties based upon particulars received from said registered parties, said login identification being associated with a smart card and a pin number of each of said registered parties.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising the step of providing, by said locker controller, said pin number and information on said smart card to said locker controller for said leasing.

11. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the step of allowing, by said system controller, special access to said locker unit by said registered parties when a wrong delivery or a wrong item is placed into said locker unit.

12. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the step of renewing a lease period for said locker unit after said lease period runs out.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of providing a transaction number, by said system controller, to said vendor or said delivery agent after said reserving step.

14. The method of claim 13, and further comprising the step of receiving, by said system controller, said transaction number and a login identification number associated with a delivery person to enable said delivery of said good or pickup of said drop off of said good.