Systems and methods for facilitating package delivery or pickup

• US 9,619,955 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2016
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David L. Eichenblatt
• Original Assignee: David L. Eichenblatt
• Inventors: Eichenblatt, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/043,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20160247344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/1257 comprising a lock on the outlet door
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/145 the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/149 with central server link
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/124 Appliances to prevent unauthorised removal of contents
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/00 Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A system for facilitating package delivery or pickup at premises of senders or recipients has a package door that is used for receipt and collection of packages. The package door includes an input device for entering package information and an image capture device for visually recording the arrival of a courier. Based on the package information entered via the input device, the system determines whether the package information matches a predetermined value, such as a package tracking number. The system may automatically unlock the package door if the package information matches such predetermined value. In other embodiments, a user may remotely monitor the package information and/or information from the image capture device to determine whether to provide inputs for unlocking the package door. The system logs the package information received from the input device and the image capture device.

Claims

1. A package door system, comprising:

a first door;

a second door, wherein the first door is mounted in the second door;

a door locking mechanism coupled to the first door;

a data input device configured to receive, from a user, an authorization code for a package to be delivered or picked up through the first door;

a display screen configured to display to the user at least one image via the display screen, wherein the displayed at least one image includes an image of a signature from a system operator, wherein the image of the signature from the system operator is displayed to the user in response to receipt of the authorization code by the data input device; and

at least one computing device configured to receive the authorization code from the data input device and to perform a comparison between the authorization code and attribute data indicative of at least one package to be delivered or picked up by a courier service, the at least one computing device further configured to control the door locking mechanism based on the comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authorization code includes a package identifier that identifies the package to be delivered or picked up.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an image capture device configured to capture at least one image in response to a detection of the user at the first and second doors.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a doorbell interface, wherein the detection is based on the doorbell interface.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to transmit the captured at least one image through a network to a remote access device and to receive, from the remote access device, a message indicating whether the at least one computing device is authorized to unlock the door locking mechanism, and wherein the at least one computing device is configured to control the door locking mechanism based on the message.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the display screen is a first display screen and the image capture device comprises a second display screen and is configured to display the captured at least one image via the second display screen.

7. A system for facilitating deliveries, comprising:

a first door;

a door locking mechanism coupled to the first door;

a data input device configured to receive, from a user, an authorization code for a package to be delivered or picked up through the first door;

a user interface having a display screen mounted near the first door, wherein the user interface is configured to enable a system operator to provide a message for the user with the display screen, wherein the message includes an image of a signature from the system operator, and wherein the image of the signature from the system operator is displayed to the user in response to receipt of the authorization code by the data input device; and

at least one computing device configured to receive the authorization code from the data input device and to perform a comparison between the authorization code and attribute data indicative of at least one package to be delivered or picked up by a courier service, the at least one computing device further configured to control the door locking mechanism based on the comparison, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to store in memory a plurality of attributes for a plurality of packages delivered through the first door thereby defining an attribute history for the plurality of packages, and wherein each of the attributes is selected from at least one of the group including;

a sender name and a category of a product contained by a respective one of the plurality of packages.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a second door, wherein the first door is mounted in the second door, the door locking mechanism comprises a latch assembly connected to the first door, a strike plate assembly connected to the second door and a controller configured to transition the strike plate assembly between a locked position and an unlocked position, the first door being in a closed position upon the latch assembly engaging the strike plate assembly, and wherein the controller is configured to receive an instruction from the at least one computing device to transition the strike plate assembly from the locked position to the unlocked position to permit the first door to move from the closed position to an open position.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein authorization code includes a package identifier that identifies the package to be delivered or picked up, and the at least one computing device is configured to communicate with a remote server for downloading at least one of the attributes.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to transmit a notification to a remote access device based on the comparison.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the data input device is configured to read a label of at least one of the plurality of packages to determine one or more of at least one of the attributes or the authorization code.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the data input device is configured to determine at least one of the attributes via wireless signals communicated between the data input device and at least one of the plurality of packages.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the data input device is coupled to a wireless communication device for wirelessly transmitting the authorization code to the at least one computing device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computing device includes a local computing device and a remote computing device, the local computing device configured to transmit data indicative of the attribute history to the remote computing device via a network, wherein the remote computing device is configured to associate the data with a customer identifier, and wherein the remote computing device is further configured to receive the customer identifier from a remote server and, in response, to transmit an address to the remote server.

15. The system of claim 7, further comprising an image capture device configured to capture at least one image in response to a detection of the user at the first door.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to transmit the image through a network to a remote access device and to receive, from the remote access device, a message indicating whether the at least one computing device is authorized to unlock the door locking mechanism, and wherein the at least one computing device is configured to control the door locking mechanism based on the message.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the first door is incorporated in one of a box or bench.

18. The system of claim 7, further comprising a tablet computer, wherein the tablet computer includes the data input device and the user interface, the tablet computer configured to provide one or more selectable options to the user via the display screen, the selectable options comprising one or more of a doorbell interface, opening a two way communication channel with the system operator, or contacting emergency service personnel.

19. A method for facilitating deliveries, comprising:

receiving, from a user, an authorization code for a package to be delivered or picked up through a first door;

displaying to the user at least one image via a display screen in response to the receiving, wherein the displayed at least one image includes an image of a signature from a system operator;

comparing by at least one computing device the authorization code to attribute data indicative of at least one package to be delivered or picked up by a courier service;

automatically unlocking the first door based on the comparing; and

storing, in memory, a plurality of attributes for a plurality of packages delivered through the first door thereby defining an attribute history for the plurality of packages, wherein each of the attributes is selected from at least one of the group including;

a sender name and a category of a product contained by a respective one of the plurality of packages.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the authorization code includes a package identifier that identifies the package to be delivered or picked up.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving the authorization code by the at least one computing device from a remote server.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a category of a product contained by at least one of the plurality of packages based on a sender name for the at least one package.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

electronically reading a label of at least one of the plurality of packages; and

determining, based on the reading, one or more of at least one of the attributes or the authorization code.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

communicating wireless signals with at least one of the plurality of packages; and

determining at least one of the attributes based on the communicating.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

associating the attribute history with a customer identifier;

associating the customer identifier with a shipment address;

receiving the customer identifier from a payment server that is effectuating a purchase of a product to be shipped by the package; and

transmitting the shipment address to the payment server.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sensing a presence of the user at the first door; and

capturing an image of the user in response to the sensing.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the sensing is based on the user interaction with a doorbell interface.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting the captured image through a network to a remote access device; and

receiving by the at least one computing device a message from the remote access device indicating whether the at least one computing device is authorized to unlock the first door,

wherein the unlocking is based on the message.