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Selecting best-fit digital lockers for packages

  • US 9,547,962 B2
  • Filed: 07/23/2014
  • Issued: 01/17/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:

  • a locker manager configured to;

    receive a request to store an item at a locker facility;

    determine a first plurality of locker compartments that are available for storing items at a first locker facility, wherein each locker compartment, from the first plurality of locker compartments that are available for storing items at the first locker facility, has locker-physical-dimensions;

    receive encoded sensor data that specifies item-physical-dimensions of the item and a weight of the item;

    determine whether, based at least in part on the item-physical dimensions of the item and locker-physical-dimensions of each locker compartment from the first plurality of locker compartments that are available for storing items, one or more first locker compartments from the first plurality of locker compartments that are available for storing items that have locker-physical-dimensions that are the same as or greater than the item-physical dimensions of the item;

    in response to determining, based at least in part on the item-physical dimensions of the item and the locker-physical-dimensions of each locker compartment from the first plurality of locker compartments that are available for storing items, that one or more first locker compartments have first locker-physical-dimensions that are the same as or greater than the item-physical dimensions of the item;

    select a first locker compartment from the one or more first locker compartments that have locker-physical-dimensions that are the same as or greater than the item-physical dimensions of the item;

    determine a first locker identifier of the first locker compartment from the one or more first locker compartments that have first locker-physical-dimensions that are the same as or greater than the item-physical dimensions of the item;

    generate and transmit a first response message, which includes the first locker identifier of the first locker compartment;

    receive an item weight from a locker sensor located in the first locker compartment;

    determine whether the item weight, received from the locker sensor located in the first locker compartment, matches the weight, of the item, specified in the encoded sensor data; and

    in response to determining that the item weight, received from the locker sensor located in the first locker compartment, does not match the weight of the item specified in the encoded sensor data, provide an indication that the item weight, received from the locker sensor located in the first locker compartment, does not match the weight, of the item, specified in the encoded sensor data;

    in response to determining that the item weight, received from the locker sensor located in the first locker compartment, matches the weight of the item specified in the encoded sensor data;

    receive, during a predetermined period of time, a plurality of weight readings from the locker sensor located in the first locker compartment;

    determine whether any weight reading, from the plurality of weight readings, is above a threshold weight value and for the predetermined period of time;

    in response to determining that a weight reading, from the plurality of weight readings, is above the threshold weight value and for the predetermined period of time, generate a message indicating that the item has not been retrieved from the first locker compartment during the predetermined period of time.

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