Electronic mailbox system

• US 9,336,667 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hassan Hammoud
• Original Assignee: Hassan Hammoud
• Inventors: Hammoud, Hassan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US13/760,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 340/569, 340/568.1, 340/545.6, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/5.52, 709/206, 709/218, 370/311, 713/170, 345/440
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/1226 comprising electrical parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1203 Newspaper receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1214 including a receiver located remotely from the letter-box and a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation

Abstract

An electronic mailbox system features: a mailbox housing with an inner cavity and slot for holding mail, a lid, an electrically-operable lock system for the lid, a mail sensor for detecting the mail being inserted into the slot, a first transmitter, a first receiver and a mailbox microprocessor; and a control box with a second transmitter, a second receiver, a control box indicator light, an unlock button, a reset button, and a control box microprocessor. When the mail sensor detects mail delivery the control box indicator light becomes illuminated. When the unlock button is pushed the lock system unlocks. When the reset button is pressed the indicator light is deactivated. An alarm system may be activated upon receipt of mail and/or if a tamper sensor detects tampering. Another embodiment features control and monitoring of the mailbox via a mobile consumer electronics device, as a smart phone or tablet.

Claims

1. An electronic mailbox system comprising:

a mailbox comprising;

(i) a housing having an inner cavity for holding a piece of mail;

(ii) a lid moveable between an open position and a closed position respectively allowing and preventing access to the inner cavity;

(iii) an electrically-operable lock system operatively connected to the lid, the lock system being movable between a locked position which secures the lid in the closed position and an unlocked position which permits the lid to be moved to the open position;

(iv) a slot disposed in the mailbox housing for accommodating the piece of mail through the slot and into the inner cavity;

(v) a mail sensor for detecting the piece of mail inserted into the cavity through the slot;

(vi) a first transmitter and a first receiver; and

(vii) a first processor operatively connected to each of the mail sensor, the lock system, the first transmitter, and the first receiver;

a handheld mobile device comprising a smart phone or tablet computer that is arranged to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and comprises (i) a second transmitter and a second receiver;

(ii) at least one output device;

(iii) at least one input device; and

(iv) a second processor operably connected to the second transmitter, the second receiver, the output device, and the input device;

wherein the first processor at the mailbox is arranged to (i) in response to an internal mail received signal generated by the mail sensor upon receipt of the piece of mail in the inner cavity, transmit an external mail received signal from the first transmitter; and

(ii) in response to receipt of an external unlock signal by the first receiver, send an internal unlock signal to the electrically-operable lock to effect movement thereof to the unlocked position;

wherein the second processor is arranged to (i) in response to receipt of an incoming mail received signal at the second receiver via the a wireless telecommunications network, generate a received mail alert via the at least one output device of the handheld mobile device; and

(ii) in response to an unlock command received from a user via the input device, transmit an outgoing unlock signal from the second transmitter of the handheld mobile device.

2. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the mailbox comprises a newspaper holder situated outside the inner cavity of the mailbox housing and a newspaper sensor connected to the first processor and operable to detect placement of a newspaper on said newspaper holder, the first processor at the mailbox being arranged to have the first transmitter transmit an external newspaper received signal in response to an internal newspaper received signal from the newspaper sensor, and the second processor at the handheld mobile device being arranged to generate a received newspaper alert via the at least on output device of the handheld mobile device in response to an incoming newspaper received signal received by the second transmitter.

3. The electronic mailbox system of claim 2 wherein the alerts are different and distinct from one another.

4. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the mailbox comprises a tamper sensor connected to the first processor and operable to detect tampering of the mailbox housing, the first processor at the mailbox being arranged to have the first transmitter transmit an external mailbox tamper signal in response to an internal mailbox tamper signal from the tamper sensor, and the second processor at the handheld mobile device being arranged to generate a mailbox tamper alert via the at least one output device of the handheld mobile device in response to an incoming mailbox tamper signal received by the second transmitter.

5. The electronic mailbox system of claim 4 wherein the mailbox comprises an image capture device arranged to capture images at a location of the mailbox in response to the internal tamper signal in order to record at least one image of a tampering event.

6. The electronic mailbox system of claim 5 wherein the first transmitter is arranged to transmit image data reflective of said recorded image to a remote location.

7. The electronic mailbox system of claim 6 wherein the at least one output device of the handheld mobile device comprises a display screen, and the second receiver is arranged to receive the image data for display of said recorded image on the display screen.

8. The electronic mailbox system of claim 4 wherein the alerts are different and distinct from one another.

9. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the at least one output device comprises a display screen, and each alert comprises a visual alert displayed on said display screen.

10. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the at least one output device comprises a speaker, and each alert comprises an audible alert sounded from said speaker.

11. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 comprising a server connected to a network to which the mailbox and the handheld mobile device are also connected, wherein the server is arranged to receive the external mail received signal from the mailbox and, in response thereto, send the incoming mail received signal to the handheld mobile device;

and to receive the outgoing unlock signal from the handheld mobile device and, in response thereto, send the external unlock signal to the mailbox.

12. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the handheld mobile device comprises computer readable memory having a software application stored thereon for execution by the processor, including an authentication routine arranged to receive an authentication code associated with the mailbox and transmit an outgoing authentication code signal from the handheld mobile device to a remote server having a database containing a collection of authentication codes for multiple mailboxes, the server being arranged to compare said authentication code against the collection of authentication codes, and in response to finding a match for said authentication code, authorize control of the mailbox by the handheld mobile device.

13. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the at least one input device of the handheld mobile device comprises a microphone and the handheld mobile device comprises computer readable memory having a software application stored thereon for execution by the processor, including a voice recognition function operable to detect a verbal unlock command received from the microphone and, in response to said verbal unlock command, transmit the outgoing unlock signal from the second transmitter of the handheld mobile device.

14. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the at least one output device of the handheld mobile device comprises a display screen, the mailbox comprises an auto-lock mechanism operable to move lock system to the locked position after a predetermined length of time after the lock system has been moved to the unlocked position, and the handheld mobile device comprises computer readable memory having a software application stored thereon for execution by the second processor, and including statements and instructions for execution by the second processor to perform a timer display routine that, in response to movement of the lock system to the unlocked position, shows an onscreen timer countdown of said predetermined length of time on the display screen of the handheld mobile device.

15. The electronic mailbox system of claim 14 wherein the timer display routine is arranged for early termination of the timer countdown before expiry of the predetermined length of time in response to receipt of the unlock command from the input device prior to said expiry of the predetermined length of time.

16. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 comprising multiple ones of said handheld mobile device, each operable to control the lock system of the mailbox.

17. The electronic mailbox system of claim 16 wherein each handheld mobile device is arranged to receive said incoming mail received signal and generated a respective mail received alert in response to same.

18. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the mailbox comprises a location determining device operable to determine a location of the mailbox and generate a locating signal containing location data on said location for transmission of said data from the mailbox, the at least one output device of the handheld mobile device comprises a display screen, and the handheld mobile device comprises computer readable memory having a software application stored thereon for execution by the processor, including a tracking function operable to receive an incoming location signal containing said location data and show a map on the display screen together with a positional marker displayed on said map at a position thereon according to the location data, whereby the user can track the location of the mailbox if stolen from an originally installed location of said mailbox.

20. The electronic mailbox system of claim 1 wherein the the handheld mobile device is arranged to transmit the outgoing unlock signal from the second transmitter of the handheld mobile device via the wireless telecommunications network.

19. A method of managing receipt of physical mail at a mailbox, the method comprising:

at the mailbox, in response to receipt of a piece of mail in an inner cavity of the mailbox through a slot of said mailbox, transmitting an external mail received signal to a remote location;

at the remote location, on a handheld mobile device comprising a smart phone or tablet computer, receiving an incoming mail received signal through a wireless telecommunications network based on said external mail received signal transmitted from the mailbox, and in response to receipt of said incoming mail signal, generating a mail received alert and conveying said mail received alert to a user of said mobile handheld device;

after departure of the user of the mobile handheld device from the remote location and arrival of said user at a site of the mailbox, receiving an unlock command at the mobile handheld device from the user through an input device of said mobile handheld device, and in response to said unlock command, sending an outgoing unlock signal from the mobile handheld device;

at the mailbox, based on the outgoing unlock signal from the mobile handheld device, sending an internal unlock signal to a locking system of the mailbox to unlock a lid of the mailbox to enable manual access to the inner cavity thereof; and

after removal of the piece of mail from the inner cavity of the mailbox and re-closing of the lid of said mailbox, sending a lock signal to the locking system in order to re-lock the lid of the mailbox to securely enclose the inner cavity thereof.