Automatic package delivery and retrieval system

• US 8,857,709 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Hancock, Stephen H., Desrosiers, Norman B., Fiest, Eric, Rupert, John
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US13/563,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/384, 235/379, 705/14.33, 705/404, 705/410
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00

Abstract

Described herein are an automatic package delivery and retrieval apparatus, system and method. The automatic package delivery and retrieval includes a Package Delivery Kiosk (PDK), associated front end and back end package delivery management systems, portals for the consumer and the retailer, portals for the common carrier, sender, and recipient, a package inventory management system, integrated retailer access, a real and automated retailer bidding system and a kiosk for distribution. In one embodiment, a system for automated package retrieval and delivery includes a kiosk, package retrieval apparatus, and various computing systems for running the systems. A method for providing packages to customers includes providing a notification with a code to a user that a package is available for retrieval. The method includes storing a package in the kiosk. The method further includes receiving the code from a user at the kiosk and retrieving the package with the automatic retrieval mechanism.

Claims

1. A method for providing packages to customers, comprising:

providing a notification to a user that a package is available for retrieval, the notification including a code;

storing a package at a user specified kiosk in one of a plurality of reconfigurable package slots, the user specified kiosk including an automatic retrieval mechanism;

receiving the code from a user at the user specified kiosk;

retrieving the package for the user with the automatic retrieval mechanism;

reconfiguring the plurality of package slots; and

aligning the automatic retrieval mechanism to the reconfigured plurality of package slots,

wherein when the package is stored in the user specified kiosk for greater than a set period of time is considered dead and the automatic retrieval mechanism retrieves the package and places the package in a predetermined location reserved for dead packages for retrieval and removal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the user prior to retrieving the package.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the authenticating includes scanning a personal identification card of the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the authenticating includes receiving a pin from the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is a notice received in the mail.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the notification includes the code and the code is a scannable code and the receiving the code includes scanning the scannable code on the notification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user may sign up for kiosk delivery of packages from a common carrier as an alternative to home delivery.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user specified kiosk is located in a location where it is accessible to users 24 hours a day.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic retrieval mechanism is a Robotic Package Lifting Apparatus located inside the user specified kiosk and the user specified kiosk includes a plurality of shelves, the plurality of shelves having a plurality of slots.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location of a package in a slot of the plurality of slots is stored in a computing system and when the code is associated with the package.

11. A system for providing automated retrieval of packages to a user, the packages delivered by a common carrier, the system comprising:

a user-specified kiosk, the user-specified kiosk including a plurality of reconfigurable package slots, an automatic retrieval mechanism, a touch screen interface, and a computing system for controlling the touch screen interface and automatic retrieval mechanism, wherein when a package is stored in the user-specified kiosk for greater than a set period of time is considered dead and the automatic retrieval mechanism retrieves the package and places the package in a predetermined location reserved for dead packages for retrieval and removal; and

a notification, provided to a user, the notification providing for a code for the user to enter at the touch screen interface, the code activating the automatic retrieval mechanism and retrieving a package for the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the automatic retrieval mechanism is a Robotic Package Lifting Apparatus (RPLA) located inside the user specified kiosk and the user specified kiosk includes a plurality of shelves, the plurality of shelves having the plurality of package slots and the location of a package in a package slot of the plurality of package slots is stored in a computing system and the code is associated with the package.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification is a piece of mail and the code is a scannable electronic code.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing system includes a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules configured to report package pickups and availability to a reporting server.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of modules is configured to control of a security camera, situated at the user specified kiosk.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of modules is configured to provide access to information concerning the user specified kiosk to a user utilizing the internet.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of modules is configured to provide a menu driven graphical user interface to the user for retrieving packages, the interface configured to provide for scanning procedures of the code and scanning procedures of a user identification.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of modules is configured to receive information concerning package location and package identification from the RPLA, the RPLA providing the package location by encoding the position of packages in the plurality of slots and scanning a bar code on each of the packages.