Messages associated with unopened delivered packages

• US 8,967,458 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanlon, Jon T.
• Primary Examiner(s): St Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/600,022
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/462, 235/462.01, 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

This disclosure is directed at least in part to providing coded messages associated with unopened delivered packages. The coded messages may help recipients determine information about the contents of packages without opening the packages, and thereby help prevent spoiling surprises (e.g., holiday gifts, etc.) or otherwise preventing other unwanted behavior. In some embodiments, the coded messages may be decrypted or otherwise received by an authorized recipient of the package.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

under control of one or more servers configured with executable instructions,

generating a first code and a second code for a package, the codes being accessible by an electronic device without opening the package;

associating the first code with a first message and a recipient, the first message providing information associated with the package;

associating the second code with a second message, the second message providing information associated with the package;

after delivery of the package to a destination, receiving one of the codes from the electronic device;

in response to receiving the first code;

receiving authentication information from the recipient that positively identifies the recipient as being associated with the first code; and

transmitting the first message to the electronic device in response to the received authentication information being associated with the first code; and

in response to receiving the second code, transmitting the second message to the electronic device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein individual ones of the codes are included in at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, or a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag that is readable by the electronic device without opening the package.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the authentication information that positively identifies the recipient includes at least one of a device identifier associated with the recipient or user credentials associated with the recipient.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the codes are unique tokens associated with the package.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recipient is a first recipient, further comprising:

associating the second code with a second recipient; and

in response to receiving the second code;

receiving authentication information from the second recipient that positively identifies the second recipient as being associated with the second code,

wherein the transmitting the second message transmits the second message in response to the received authentication information from the second recipient associated with the second code,

wherein the first and second recipients are associated with the same destination and the first message is different than the second message.

6. A method, comprising:

generating a first code and a second code for a package, the codes being messages that are encrypted and provide information associated the package, the first and second codes being accessible without opening the package; and

transmitting a first of at least two tokens to a first recipient and a second of the at least two tokens to a second recipient prior to delivery of the package to a destination, the first token being usable by an electronic device to decrypt the first code to reveal the associated message after the first code is read by the electronic device, the second token being usable by the electronic device to decrypt the second code to reveal the associated message after the second code is read by the electronic device.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising creating the messages based at least in part on information about items in the package.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising creating the messages in response to input from a customer that purchased items included in the package.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising encrypting the messages.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein individual ones of the codes are included in at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, or a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag that is readable by the electronic device without opening the package.

11. A method, comprising:

accessing, by an electronic device, one of at least two codes associated with a package, the codes being associated with different messages that are encrypted and provide information associated the package, the codes being accessible without opening the package;

receiving, by the electronic device, one of at least two tokens prior to delivery of the package to a destination;

decrypting one of the codes using a first one of the received tokens, by the electronic device, to obtain an associated one of the different messages; and

outputting the associated one of the different messages.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the receiving the one of at least two tokens includes receiving the one of at least two tokens by at least one of an email message or a text message.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the accessing the one of at least two codes includes at least one of obtaining the one of at least two codes with an optical reader device or receiving data from a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the outputting the associated one of the different messages includes causing the associated one of the different messages to be displayed on a display of the electronic device.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, performs acts comprising:

associating a first code from a package with a first message and a recipient;

associating a second code from the package with a second message, the first message and the second message providing information associated the package, the first code and the second code being accessible without opening the package;

after shipment of the package, receiving a request to redeem at least one of the first code or the second code from an electronic device;

in response to receiving the first code;

receiving authentication information from the recipient that positively identifies the recipient as being associated with the first code; and

transmitting the first message to the electronic device in response to the received authentication information being associated with the first code; and

in response to receiving the second code, transmitting the second message to the electronic device.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the first code and the second code are unique tokens associated with the package.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the receiving the authentication information includes at least one of receiving an identifier from the electronic device that identifies the recipient or receiving credentials from the recipient to identify the recipient.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the recipient is a first recipient, and

further comprising associating the second code with a second recipient.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the first recipient and the second recipient are associated with the destination and the first message is different than the second message.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the package is a first package, and wherein at least one of the first message or the second message includes an indication of a second package that is related to the first package.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 20, wherein the acts further comprise updating the first message or the second message to include at least one of an estimated arrival date or a current location of the second package.

22. A system comprising:

one or more servers configured to,

generate a first code and a second code for a package, the codes being accessible by an electronic device without opening the package;

associate the first code with a first message and a recipient, the first message providing information associated with the package;

associate the second code with a second message, the second message providing information associated with the package;

after delivery of the package to a destination, receive one of the codes from the electronic device;

in response to receiving the first code;

receive authentication information from the recipient that positively identifies the recipient as being associated with the first code; and

transmit the first message to the electronic device in response to the received authentication information being associated with the first code; and

in response to receiving the second code, transmit the second message to the electronic device.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the recipient is a first recipient and in response to receiving the second code, the one or more servers are further configured to:

associate the second code with a second recipient; and

in response to receiving the second code;

receive authentication information from the second recipient that positively identifies the second recipient as being associated with the second code,

wherein the transmission of the second message is based on the received authentication information from the second recipient associated with the second code,

wherein the first and second recipients are associated with the same destination and the first message is different than the second message.

24. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein individual ones of the codes are included in at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, or a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag that is readable by the electronic device without opening the package.

25. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the authentication information that positively identifies the recipient includes at least one of a device identifier associated with the recipient or user credentials associated with the recipient.