Locker system, locker controlling method, control center, and recording medium

• US 6,999,825 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Inomata, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US10/023,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700213-215, 700231-232, 700/237, 700/233, 705/26, 705/14, 340/5.73
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

A user access the control center by a user terminal, and send a request for searching an available locker box in a desired area. The control center has database storing data representing which locker box is available. The control center searches the database for the available locker box which matches the user'"'"'s request. The control center transmits information of the available locker to the user terminal. As the user reserves the locker, the control center generates one time password (OTP). The control center sends the OTP to the locker controller, and a display unit of the locker displays the OTP. The user inputs the displayed OTP to the user terminal and sends it to the control center. If the OTP is successfully authenticated, the control center sends commands to unlock the locker, thus, the user can use the reserved locker box.

Claims

1. A locker system comprising lockers, a control center for remotely controlling said lockers, locker controllers applied to said lockers respectively, and user terminals operated by users of said lockers, wherein,

each of said lockers include at least one compartment having an electronically controlled lock system and a display unit for displaying information given by said control center,

said control center receives requests from said user terminals via a telecommunications network, and sends instructions based on the received requests to said locker controllers via said telecommunications network, and

said locker controllers receive the instructions from said control center via said telecommunications network, and control corresponding lockers based on the received instructions.

2. The locker system according to claim 1, wherein

said control center obtains status information of said lockers, specifies an available locker compartment based on the status information and the user'"'"'s request, and provides information representing the available locker compartment to said user terminal which requested said control center to inform of an available locker compartment.

3. The locker system according to claim 1, wherein

said locker controller controls said electronically controlled lock system of the compartment to lock or unlock the compartment indicated by the instruction from said control center.

4. The locker system according to claim 1, wherein

said control center generates ID information in response to receiving the user'"'"'s request, and transmits the generated ID information to said locker controller,

said locker controller receives the ID information from said control center, and controls a corresponding display unit to display the received ID information,

said user terminal transmits the ID information input by the user to said control center, and

said control center receives the ID information from said user terminal, and transmits an instruction to allow the user to use the locker compartment to said locker controller, if the received ID information is correct.

5. The locker system according to claim 1, wherein

said control center transmits an instruction to said locker controllers so as to keep unused locker compartments being locked.

6. The locker system according to claim 1, further comprising a delivery center and deliverer terminals connected to said telecommunication network, wherein

said control center obtains information regarding a delivery from said delivery center,

stores in a storage unit information sets, each regarding to the delivery, the locker compartments, and the users so that the information sets are associated to each other,

specifies a locker compartment based on the information stored in said storage unit,

transmits information representing the specified locker compartment to said deliverer terminal, and

allows the deliverer to use the specified compartment by sending an instruction to unlock the compartment to said locker controller.

7. The locker system according to claim 1, further comprising an advertisement information provider being connected to said telecommunications network, which provides advertisement information to be displayed on said display unit with said locker controller, wherein

said advertisement information provider obtains information regarding a user of said locker compartment,

said advertisement information provider selects advertisement information based on the information regarding the user, and

transmits the selected advertisement information to said locker controller when the user uses the locker compartment.

8. The locker system according to claim 1 further comprising a billing server connected to said telecommunications network, which bills for service fees regarding to said locker.

9. A locker controlling method for remotely controlling lockers via a telecommunications network, comprising:

obtaining information representing the status of the lockers via said telecommunications network;

receiving user'"'"'s requests via said telecommunication network;

specifying an available locker compartment in said lockers which matches the user'"'"'s request based on the obtained status information;

informing the user of the specified locker via said telecommunications network;

informing the specified locker of ID information via said telecommunications network together with an instruction to present the ID information to the user;

obtaining information to be presented at the lockers;

receiving the ID information from the user via said telecommunications network; and

providing a locker with an instruction to unlock the specified locker compartment via said telecommunications network, if the received ID information is correct.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said instruction providing provides said locker with an instruction to keep the locker compartments locked during the time the locker compartments are unused.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information is advertisement information, further comprising:

obtaining information regarding a user via said telecommunications network;

selecting advertisement information based on the obtained information regarding the user; and

providing said locker with the selected advertisement information via said telecommunications network together with an instruction to present the provided advertisement information when the user uses the locker compartment.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining information regarding a delivery from a deliverer via said telecommunications network;

specifying a locker compartment in said lockers based on the obtained delivery information;

informing the deliverer of the information representing the specified locker compartment via said telecommunications network; and

informing the specified locker of ID information via said telecommunications network together with an instruction to present the ID information to the deliverer, wherein

said ID information receiving receives the ID information from the deliverer via said telecommunications network, and

said instruction providing provides a locker with an instruction to unlock the specified locker compartment via said telecommunications network, if the received ID information is correct.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

recognizing a plurality of users as a group; and

allowing the plurality of the users of the group to share the specified locker compartment.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining information representing fees for the services of the lockers user by user; and

billing the user for the service based on the obtained fee information.

15. A control center for remotely controlling lockers via a telecommunications network, comprising:

a connector which connects said control center to said telecommunications network;

a status manager which controls said connector to obtain status information of the lockers;

a request receiver which controls said connector to receive user'"'"'s request from user'"'"'s terminals being connected to said telecommunications network;

a locker finder which specifies an available locker compartment based on the status information, which matches the user'"'"'s request received by said receiver;

an ID information generator which generates ID information in response to the specification by said locker finder;

an information presenter which controls said connector to present information representing the locker compartment specified by said locker finder to said user'"'"'s terminal together with the ID information generated by said ID information generator;

an ID information transmitter which controls said connector to provide the specified locker compartment with the ID information together with an instruction to present the ID information to the user;

an ID information receiver which controls said connector to receive the ID information from the user'"'"'s terminal;

an ID information authenticator which determines whether the ID information received by said ID information receiver coincides with the ID information generated by said ID information generator;

a locker controller which controls said connector to transmit an instruction to unlock the locker compartment if said ID information authenticator determines that the ID information sets coincide with each other; and

an information manager which obtains information to be presented at the lockers.

16. The control center according to claim 15, further comprising:

a user information obtainer which obtains information regarding the user; and

an advertisement selector which selects advertisement information from the information obtained by the information manager based on the user information obtained by said user information obtainer, wherein

said locker controller controls said connector to transmit the advertisement information selected by said advertisement selector to the specified locker compartment together with an instruction to present the advertisement information to the user.

17. A computer readable recording medium storing a program which causes a computer to:

establish a connection with a telecommunications network;

obtain information representing status of lockers being connected to said telecommunications network;

receive a request of a user of the locker from a user terminal via said telecommunications network;

specify an available locker compartment based on the user'"'"'s request and the status information;

transmit information representing the specified locker compartment to the user terminal via said telecommunications network;

generate ID information in response to the specification of the locker compartment;

transmit the generated ID information to the specified locker compartment via said telecommunications network together with an instruction to present the ID information to the user;

receive the ID information from the user terminal via said telecommunications network;

determine whether the received ID information coincides with the generated ID information; and

transmit an instruction to the specified locker via said telecommunications network to unlock the specified locker compartment if it is determined that the received ID information coincides with the generated ID information; and

obtain information to be presented at the lockers.

18. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the information is advertisement information, and wherein said program further causes said computer to:

obtain information regarding the user;

select advertisement information based on the obtained user information; and

transmit the selected advertisement information to the specified locker via said telecommunications network together with an instruction to present the advertisement information to the user.