System and method for notifying a package recipient of package arrival

• US 7,528,722 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David G. Nelson
• Original Assignee: David G. Nelson
• Inventors: Nelson, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/515,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20080061966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 3405681-5729, 340/573, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.18, 340/539.2, 340/539.23, 340/539.32, 340/686.1, 340/673, 700/214, 700/217, 700/225, 700/226, 700/228, 705/401, 705/406
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A package delivery notification system and method notifies package recipients of a package'"'"'s arrival. The method-enabling system comprises a package, a package recipient, a package carrier, first and second wireless communications devices, and a recipient setting. The package carrier brings the package and the first wireless communications device to within a delivery distance relative to the recipient setting. The first wireless communications device and the delivery distance enable data transmission to the second wireless communications device located at the recipient setting. The package carrier transmits a package-delivery message to the second communications device, which device receives and displays the package-delivery message for notifying the package recipient of the package'"'"'s arrival.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a package recipient of package proximity, the method comprising the steps of:

installing a first wireless communications device in a recipient setting, the first wireless communications device being cooperatively associated with a personal area network and comprising data-receiving means, recipient-signaling means, message-displaying means, and a first power source, the personal area network being defined by a range distance;

simultaneously carrying a second wireless communications device and a package by a package carrier, the second wireless communications device comprising data-transmitting means and a second power source, the first and second wireless communications devices being communicable within the range distance;

finally reducing the package distance intermediate the recipient setting and the package via the package carrier, the finally reduced distance being lesser in magnitude than the range distance as ascertained by the package carrier thereby enabling data transmission intermediate the first and second wireless communications devices;

inputting package-associable data into the second wireless communications device by the package carrier upon package delivery;

sending the package-associable data to the first wireless communications device from the second wireless communications device, the package-associable data comprising a package-delivery message;

receiving the sent package-associable data via the data-receiving means;

signaling a package recipient located at the recipient setting via the recipient-signaling means; and

perceiving the package-delivery message by the package recipient, the perceived package-delivery message notifying the package recipient of package delivery by the package carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient-signaling means provide select stimuli, the select stimuli being selected from the group consisting of visual stimuli and auditory stimuli.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient setting is a fixed location, the step of finally reducing the package distance intermediate the recipient setting and the package being performed by a mobile carrier.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second wireless communications devices communicate via radio frequency transmission.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the personal area network has a maximum range, the maximum range being defined by about a 10 meter radius at a radio frequency of about 2.4 GHz at about 1 mW of power enabled by each of the first and second power sources.

6. A method for notifying a package recipient of package proximity, the method comprising the steps of:

fixing the location of a first wireless communications device, the first wireless communications device being cooperatively associated with a first piconet and comprising data-receiving means and message-displaying means, the first piconet extending radially outward from the first wireless communications device;

carrying a second wireless communications device and a package by a package carrier toward the first piconet, the second wireless communications device being cooperatively associated with a second piconet and comprising data-transmitting means, the second piconet extending radially outward from the second wireless communications device;

ascertaining when the first and second piconets overlap by the package delivery person, the first and second wireless communications devices being communicable when the first and second piconets embrace the first and second wireless communications devices, the embraced first and second wireless communications devices being cooperatively associated with a personal area network;

inputting package-associable data into the second wireless communications device by the package carrier upon package delivery;

sendine the package-associable data to the first wireless communications device from the second wireless communications device within the personal area network, the package-associable data comprising a package-delivery message;

receiving the package-delivery message via the data-receiving means; and

messaging a package recipient located with the package-delivery message via the message-outputting means, the perceived package-delivery message notifying the package recipient of package delivery by the package carrier.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising installing the first wireless communications device in the recipient setting.

8. The method of claim 6 comprising signaling the package recipient after receiving the sent package-delivery message via recipient-signaling means, the recipient-signaling means being cooperatively associated with the first wireless communications device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the recipient-signaling means provide select stimuli, the select stimuli being selected from the group consisting of visual stimuli and auditory stimuli.

10. A method for notifying a package recipient of package proximity, the method comprising the steps of:

reducing the distance intermediate a package recipient and a package by a package carrier, the package being cooperatively associated with wireless data-transmitting means, the wireless data-transmitting means being cooperatively associated with a transmittal range, the transmittal range extending outwardly from the package and the package carrier;

overlapping the transmittal range with a signal-receiving range as ascertained by the package carrier, the signal-receiving range being cooperatively associated with data-receiving means, the data-transmitting means and the data-receiving means being cooperable for effecting corrirriunication of package-associable data therebetween;

inputtinig package-associable data into the data-transmitting means by the package carrier upon package delivery;

sending package-associable data via the data-transmitting means to the data-receiving means;

receiving tbe package-associable data via the data-receiving means; and

messaging the package-associable data via the data-receiving means, the package-associable data for notifying a package recipient of package delivery by the package carrier.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising signaling the package recipient after receiving the package-associable data via recipient-signaling means, the recipient-signaling means being cooperatively associated with the first wireless communications device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the recipient-signaling means provide select stimuli, the select stimuli being selected from the group consisting of visual stimuli and auditory stimuli.

13. The method of claim 10 compiising fixing the location of the data-receiving means before reducing the distance intermediate the package recipient and the package.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the distance intermediate the package and the data-transmitting means is held substantially constant while the distance intermediate the package recipient and the package is reduced.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the package and data-transmitting means are simultaneously carried by a mobile carrier while the distance intermediate the package recipient and the package is reduced.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the data-transmitting means are defined by a personal digital assistant.

17. A package delivery notification system, the package delivery notification system comprising, in combination:

a package, first and second wireless communications devices, and a recipient setting, the package being cooperatively associated with package-associable data and carried by a package carrier, the package-associable data for directing the package carrier to the recipient setting, the package carrier bringing the package and the first wireless communications device to within a delivery distance relative to the recipient setting as ascertained by the nackage carrier, the first wireless communications device comprising data-inputting means, data-transmitting means, and a first power source, the second wireless communications device being located at the recipient setting and comprising data-receiving means, data-outputting means, and a second power source, the delivery distance enabling communication intermediate the first and second wireless communications devices, the package carrier transmitting a package-delivery message to the second communications device via the data-inputting means and data-transmitting means, the data-receiving means receiving the package-delivery message, the data-outputting means providing a package recipient at the recipient setting with the package delivery message, the package delivery notification system thus for notifying the package recipient of package delivery by the package carrier.

18. The package delivery notification system of claim 17 wherein the delivery distance is defined by a personal area network.

19. The package delivery notification system of claim 18 wherein the first and second wireless communications devices cooperate via radio frequency transmission.

20. The package delivery notification system of claim 19 wherein the personal area netwodc has a maximum range, the maximum range being defined by about a 10 meter radius at a radio frequency of about 2.4 GHz at 1 mW of power enabled by the first and second power sources.