Method for transferring transport goods in a lockable transport container, lockable transport container, and transport system

• US 10,438,432 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEs Solutions GmbH
• Original Assignee: SEs Solutions GmbH
• Inventors: Espig, Serle
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US14/778,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20160284149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/144 the receptacle being transportable and attachable to a building
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/149 with central server link
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/055 Enclosure-type carriers, e.g. containers, boxes B60R9/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0088 centrally
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transferring transport goods from a sender (13) to a recipient (19) by means of a delivery agent, wherein the sender (13) places the transport goods into a lockable transport container (11), wherein the transport container (11) is locked by means of an electronic lock and a first electronic signal or a first code, wherein the locked transport container (11) is delivered to the recipient (19) by the delivery agent, wherein the electronic lock is opened by means of a second electronic signal or a second code in order for the recipient to remove the transport goods, said method providing increased flexibility, improved utilization of means of transport, and increased security.; According to the invention the first electronic signal or the first code is transmitted, in particular from a control center (10), to the sender (13) and/or to the electronic lock or the control center (10) opens the electronic lock by remote access upon request of the sender (13), and the second electronic signal or the second code is transmitted, in particular from the control center (10), to the recipient (19) and/or to the electronic lock or the control center (10) opens the electronic lock by remote access upon request of the recipient (19).

Claims

1. A method for transferring transport goods from a sender to a recipient via a delivery agent, the method comprising sending a first electronic signal or a first code via a mobile network from a control centre to the sender or, upon request from the sender, to an electronic lock of a lockable transport container of the delivery agent in which transport goods will be placed to allow opening of the electronic lock, wherein the lockable transport container is a roof box of a private automobile, a closed partial volume of a roof box of a private automobile, or a transport container integrated in a trunk of a private automobile or motorcycle, and, sending a second electronic signal or a second code via the mobile network from the control centre to the recipient or, upon request of the recipient, to the electronic lock, to allow opening of the lockable transport container and removal of the transport goods from the lockable transport container by the recipient once the lockable transport container has been delivered to the recipient by the delivery agent.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes are newly created or generated for each locking and unlocking operation of the transport container, and/or wherein the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes are created or generated by the control centre.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transport container can be opened with a master signal or a master code, and/or wherein the transport container can be located or tracked by locating and/or tracking services.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes is a signal pair or a code pair, and/or wherein each of the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes is a digitised fingerprint or a quick response (QR)-code or a barcode or a numeric code, and/or wherein the transport container includes a receiving mechanism or a reading mechanism for the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes and the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes are transmitted optically, via a display of a mobile device, to the receiving mechanism or reading mechanism of the transport container.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes comprises biometric data, wherein each of the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes is an identity card or a scan or a photocopy of an identity card, or wherein each of the first and second electronic signals or the first and second codes is stored on an identity card or on a storage device integrated with the identity card.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transport container is associated with the delivery agent, wherein data in the data base comprises a current location of the transport container associated with the delivery agent, at least one expected location of the transport container for a future time period, the transport volume of the transport container and status information which indicates the availability of the transport container for a transport operation within a current or future time period, and wherein the data is updated, automatically or by transmitting the data via the delivery agent to the control centre.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the data is updated at predefined intervals.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the control centre keeps a data base of a plurality of delivery agents associated with a plurality of the transport containers, respectively, and the data base comprises the data for each of the plurality of transport containers.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control centre receives from the sender a transport request for transport of goods comprising a desired sending location, a desired receiving location and a desired transport time period, wherein the control centre reconciles the request data with the data of the plurality of delivery agents, wherein the control centre, if the transport container is available and/or if the sending location matches the current location of the transport container and the receiving location matches an expected location of the transport container in a future time period, associates a delivery agent with the sender, wherein the control centre transmits to the delivery agent and/or the sender a confirmation comprising a hand-over location and a hand-over time for the delivery agent to transport the transport goods from the hand-over location to the receiving location.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the transport request and/or the confirmation is sent and/or received by a smartphone, and wherein the transport request and/or the confirmation is created or displayed by means of a mobile application.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein loading and unloading of the transport container is carried out by an automated transshipment facility, and/or wherein the transport container is arranged on or in the automobile or motorcycle or removed out of or from the automobile or motorcycle by an automated loading facility.

12. A lockable transport container, comprising a transport container selected from a roof box of a private automobile, a lockable, closed partial volume of a roof box of a private automobile, and a container integrated in a trunk of a private automobile or motorcycle, and an electronic lock for the transport container, wherein the electronic lock is configured to receive first and second electronic signals or codes in order to lock and unlock the transport container, respectively.

13. The lockable transport container according to claim 12, wherein the transport container is integrated in a wall of a trunk of the automobile or motorcycle and wherein the transport container can be fitted and/or arranged and/or recessed into the wall so that it is aligned with or flush with the wall, and wherein the transport container can be removed and/or withdrawn from the wall.

14. The lockable transport container according to claim 12, wherein the transport container is a collapsible roof box of an automobile.

15. The lockable transport container according to claim 12, wherein the transport container includes a receiving mechanism or a reading mechanism for the first and second electronic signals or codes for opening and closing the electronic lock, wherein each of the first and second electronic signals or codes is a digitised fingerprint or a quick response (QR)-code or a barcode or a numeric code, and wherein the first and second electronic signals or codes are transmitted optically, via a display of a mobile device, to the receiving mechanism or the reading mechanism.

16. The lockable transport container according to claim 12, wherein the transport container comprises a display screen or a touch-sensitive screen, and/or at least one camera, and/or a scanning device or a scanner, and/or a printing device for printing a receipt, and/or wherein the transport container comprises a processing unit, and wherein functions of the transport container can be controlled by gesture control, wherein gestures of a sender and/or of a recipient can be recorded by a camera and can be evaluated by the processing unit, and/or wherein voice communication with the processing unit of the transport container and/or the sender and/or the recipient and/or the control centre is provided.

17. The lockable transport container according to claim 12, wherein the transport container is configured for loading or unloading by an automated transshipment facility, and/or wherein the transport container is configured for arrangement by an automated loading facility on or in the automobile or motorcycle or is configured for removal by the same from or out of the automobile or motorcycle.

18. A transport system comprising a plurality of lockable transport containers, each associated with a respective private motor vehicle, wherein each private motor vehicle is an automobile or a motorcycle, each of said plurality of lockable transport containers being selected from a roof box of a private automobile, a lockable, closed partial volume of a roof box of a private automobile, and a container integrated in a trunk of a private motor vehicle, and a control centre, wherein each lockable transport container comprises an electronic lock and a receiving mechanism and/or a reading mechanism for an electronic signal or a code and a locating GPS-system, wherein each lockable transport container is associated with a respective delivery agent, wherein the control centre comprises an electronic list of data of the delivery agents, wherein the data comprises the current location of each lockable transport container associated with the respective delivery agent, at least an expected location of each lockable transport container for a future time period, the transport volume of each lockable transport container, and status information which indicates the availability of each lockable transport container for a transport operation within a current or future time period, wherein the control centre is configured to associate one of the delivery agents to a sender of a transport request directed to the control centre for a good to be transported, including a sending location, a receiving location and a transport period, by reconciling the data of the list of the control centre with the transport request, and wherein the control centre is configured to transmit a first electronic signal or a first code to the sender and/or to the electronic lock or to open the electronic lock by remote access upon request of the sender, and to transmit a second electronic signal or a second code to a recipient and/or the electronic lock or to open the electronic lock by remote access upon request of the recipient.

19. The transport system according to claim 18, wherein the control centre is configured to transmit the first and second electronic signals or first and second codes from the control centre to a mobile device of the sender and/or the recipient, and/or wherein the first and second electronic signals or first and second codes can be transmitted from the mobile device of the sender and/or the recipient to the reading mechanism of the lockable transport container.