Pickup locations with modifiable storage compartment configurations

• US 9,745,130 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rawal, Sagar Amrutlal
• Primary Examiner(s): Logan, Kyle
• Application Number:
  US14/658,107
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 700216
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

Storage compartment configurations of pickup locations may be modified (e.g., by dividing larger storage compartments into multiple smaller storage compartments, or vice versa) based on sizes of items to be delivered to the pickup locations, so as to allow more items to be stored with less unused space in each of the storage compartments. Partitions may be positioned (e.g., inserted, moved, removed, etc.) utilizing positioning elements (e.g., rollers, motors, actuators, robotic arms, etc.) for configuring the sizes of each of the storage compartments. Door operations for each of the storage compartments may be modified so as to correspond to the current sizes of the storage compartments, and in some instances multiple doors may be utilized for providing access to larger storage compartments while individual doors may be utilized for providing access to smaller storage compartments.

Claims

1. A system for managing storage compartments at a pickup location, the system comprising:

a pickup location, including;

a plurality of storage compartments in a first storage compartment configuration that is modifiable to produce a second storage compartment configuration;

a plurality of doors to provide access to storage compartments;

at least one partition;

at least one partition positioning element for positioning the at least one partition; and

a modification components area for storing the at least one partition; and

a computing system, including;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to at least;

receive data regarding a plurality of items that are to be delivered to the pickup location, the data including a size for each of the plurality of items;

determine that the first storage compartment configuration of the pickup location will be modified based at least in part on the size for each of the plurality of items;

modify the first storage compartment configuration so as to produce the second storage compartment configuration, the second storage compartment configuration including a plurality of storage compartments for storing the plurality of items, wherein the modifying of the first storage compartment configuration includes controlling the at least one partition positioning element to position the at least one partition at a location to modify the first storage compartment configuration, and the at least one partition is stored in the modification components area when the at least one partition is not positioned at the location; and

associate the plurality of items with the plurality of storage compartments so that each of the plurality of items will be stored in respective storage compartments when each of the plurality of items are delivered to the pickup location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first storage compartment configuration includes a partition in a first location, and the modifying of the first storage compartment configuration further includes moving the partition to a second location that is different than the first location and which modifies a size of at least two storage compartments that are separated by the partition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the first storage compartment configuration further includes moving at least one outer storage compartment wall so that the second storage compartment configuration occupies more volume than the first storage compartment configuration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second storage compartment configuration includes more storage compartments than the first storage compartment configuration.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the modifying of the first storage compartment configuration includes inserting the at least one partition to divide a larger storage compartment into smaller storage compartments that form part of the second storage compartment configuration.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a plurality of doors that are operated simultaneously in the first storage compartment configuration to provide access to the larger storage compartment are each made to operate independently in the second storage compartment configuration to provide access to the respective smaller storage compartments.

7. A system for managing storage compartments at a pickup location, the system comprising:

a pickup location, including;

a plurality of storage compartments in a storage compartment configuration;

a plurality of doors to provide access to storage compartments;

at least one partition;

at least one partition positioning element for positioning the at least one partition; and

a modification components area for storing the at least one partition; and

a computing system, including;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to at least;

control the at least one partition positioning element to position the at least one partition at a location so as to modify the storage compartment configuration, wherein the at least one partition is stored in the modification components area when not positioned at the location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one partition positioning element includes at least one of a roller, a motor, an actuator or a robotic arm.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the pickup location further includes a control station which receives input from users of the pickup location and which controls the plurality of doors.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the modification components area further includes the at least one partition positioning element.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein at least some of the plurality of doors comprise at least one of hinged doors or sliding doors.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the pickup location further includes partition guiding portions for guiding the at least one partition into the location.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the partition guiding portions include at least one of slots, tracks, rails, grooves, pins or ledges.

14. A system for managing storage compartments at a pickup location, the system comprising:

a pickup location, including;

a plurality of storage compartments in a storage compartment configuration;

a plurality of doors to provide access to storage compartments;

at least one partition;

at least one partition positioning element for positioning the at least one partition; and

a modification components area for storing the at least one partition; and

a computing system, including;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to at least;

receive data regarding a size of an item that is to be stored at the pickup location;

determine, based at least in part on the size of the item, a size of a storage compartment for storing the item at the pickup location;

determine a location where the at least one partition will be positioned for forming a storage compartment of the determined size that will store the item at the pickup location; and

control the at least one partition positioning element to position the at least one partition at the location so as to modify the storage compartment configuration to form the storage compartment of the determined size that will store the item at the pickup location, wherein the at least one partition is stored in the modification components area when the at least one partition is not positioned at the location.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to determine, based at least in part on the size of the storage compartment, at least one door operation for providing access to the storage compartment.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to position the partition by at least one of inserting or moving the partition to the location for forming the storage compartment.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the item is delivered to the pickup location inside a shipping package, and

the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to provide instructions to remove the item from the shipping package before the item is placed in the storage compartment.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the modification components area further includes the at least one partition positioning element.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to:

receive data regarding a size of each of a plurality of items that are to be stored at the pickup location;

determine, based at least in part on the size of each of the plurality of items, sizes of storage compartments for storing the plurality of items at the pickup location; and

determine locations where partitions will be positioned for forming storage compartments of the determined sizes that will store the plurality of items at the pickup location.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the determining of the sizes of the storage compartments includes evaluating different possible storage compartment configurations for the pickup location and selecting a storage compartment configuration that will achieve a highest storage density for storing the plurality of items at the pickup location.