Post office box electronic notification system

• US 8,164,452 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Moses, Robert Moses
• Original Assignee: Richard Moses, Robert Moses
• Inventors: Moses, Robert, Moses, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/423,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 340/569, 340/570, 340/531, 340/540, 340/525, 340/568.1, 340/4.6, 340/571, 348/152, 348/E5.042
• US Class Current: 340/569
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/1228 activated by the weight of the letter
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/149 with central server link
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1214 including a receiver located remotely from the letter-box and a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1218 Post office boxes

Abstract

A system for and method of generating a notification regarding post office box contents. The system comprises at least one indicator transmitter arranged to generate and transmit a notification signal regarding contents of the post office box responsive to an operator actuation, and at least one receiver/network interface communicatively coupled with the at least one indicator transmitter and arranged to transmit a first signal responsive to receipt of the notification signal from the at least one indicator transmitter. The method comprises generating a notification signal responsive to an operator actuation responsive to a change of the contents of a post office box, and transmitting the generated notification signal to a client device.

Claims

1. A system for generating notifications regarding post office box contents, comprising:

at least one indicator transmitter arranged to generate and transmit a notification signal regarding contents of the post office box responsive to actuation by an operator; and

at least one receiver/network interface communicatively coupled with the at least one indicator transmitter and arranged to transmit a first signal responsive to receipt of the notification signal from the at least one indicator transmitter, wherein the at least one indicator transmitter comprises a switch arranged to trigger generation of the notification signal, wherein the switch is automatically activated by a sensor external to the post office box and based on a change of the contents of the post office box.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuation by an operator occurs responsive to a change of the contents of the post office box.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator transmitter and the at least one receiver/network interface are located at an origination location.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator transmitter is located adjacent a corresponding at least one post office box.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification signal comprises information related to the contents of the post office box.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification signal comprises a post office box identifier.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator transmitter and the at least one receiver/network interface are communicatively coupled via a wireless connection.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a notification server communicatively coupled with the at least one receiver/network interface and arranged to transmit a second signal responsive to receipt of the first signal.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver/network interface is arranged to transmit the first signal to a client device.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the notification server is arranged to transmit the second signal to a client device.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the notification signal comprises at least one of a text message, an electronic mail message, a multimedia message, a video message, or an audio message.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises at least one of a text message, an electronic mail message, a multimedia message, a video message, or an audio message.

13. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second signal comprises at least one of a text message, an electronic mail message, a multimedia message, a video message, or an audio message.

14. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the notification server and the at least one receiver/network interface are physically co-located.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein a single computer system comprises the notification server and the at least one receiver/network interface.

16. The system as claimed in claim 4, comprising a single indicator transmitter corresponding to each post office box.