Enhanced delivery management methods, apparatus, and systems for a shipped item using a mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle

• US 10,860,973 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 12/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Kevin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh, Emmett K.
• Application Number:
  US14/979,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 705333, 705330
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems that enhance delivery management of an item being shipped using a mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle are described that involve improved release control of the item and corrective delivery notifications related to the item. For example, a method for enhanced delivery management may a mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle identifying an intended delivery location associated with the item, detecting a current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, and selectively releasing the item from the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the identified intended delivery location. Further detected conditions may be used when selectively releasing the item, such as successfully establishing a validation connection to a particular node in order to confirm or authorize release of the item or detecting signals from nodes associated with the intended delivery location.

Claims

1. A mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus having enhanced delivery release control related to items being shipped, the apparatus comprising:

a logistics receptacle comprising

a plurality of storage area portions for maintaining the items, and

a plurality of lockable openings through which the items and nodes associated with the items can pass into the storage area portions;

a node coupled to the logistics receptacle, the node that is coupled to the logistics receptacle further comprising

a node processing unit,

a node memory storage coupled to the node processing unit, the node memory storage maintaining delivery release control code for execution by the node processing unit and shipping information related to the items,

location circuitry coupled to the node processing unit, the location circuitry being operative to detect a location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus,

a plurality of actuators operatively coupled to the lockable openings and controlled by the node processing unit, the actuators controlling access to the storage area portions by controlling a state of the lockable openings, and

a communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to communicate with nodes associated with the items and that are present within the storage area portions over a wireless communication path, wherein the communication interface is further operative to detect a signal broadcast from the nodes associated with the items; and

wherein the node processing unit, when executing the delivery release control code maintained on the node memory storage, is operative to

identify an intended delivery location associated with an item of the plurality of items by being operative to identify the intended delivery location based upon a portion of the detected signal, wherein the portion of the detected signal includes broadcast data indicating the shipping information for the item, the shipping information indicated by the broadcast data being stored in the memory upon the signal being detected,

cause the location circuitry to detect a current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus,

identify a storage area portion that contains the item based on the shipping information, and

automatically and selectively cause an actuator corresponding to a lockable opening of the identified storage area portion of the item to change the state of the lockable opening to an open state to provide delivery access to the item within the identified storage area portion based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus and the identified intended delivery location.

2. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to establishing a secure connection over the communication interface to the node associated with the item.

3. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 2, wherein the secure connection comprises an encrypted exchange of the shipping information.

4. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is operative to selectively cause the actuator to change to the open state by being operative to

compare the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus to the identified intended delivery location;

and

selectively cause the actuator to change the state of the lockable opening to the open state based upon based upon the comparison of the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus to the identified intended delivery location.

5. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 4, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to selectively cause the actuator to change to the open state when the comparison indicates the detected current location is within a threshold proximity area associated with the intended delivery location.

6. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is operative to selectively cause the actuator to change the state of the lockable opening to the open state by being further operative to:

establish a validation connection, using the communication interface, with a node associated with the intended delivery location to authorize releasing the item; and

cause the actuator to change the state of the lockable opening to the open state based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the location of the node associated with the intended delivery location and after successfully establishing the validation connection.

7. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 6, wherein the validation connection further comprises a secure validation connection with the node associated with the intended delivery location.

8. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 6, wherein the validation connection comprises at least one of a prompted connection with the node associated with the intended delivery location and a preauthorized connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the node associated with the intended delivery location.

9. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is operative to selectively cause the actuator to change the state of the lockable opening to the open state by being further operative to cause the actuator to unlock the lockable opening based upon a proximity distance between the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus and the identified intended delivery location.

10. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 9, wherein the node processing unit is operative to cause the actuator to unlock the lockable opening by being further operative to cause the actuator to automatically unlock the lockable opening to the storage area portion when the determined proximity distance is less than a threshold proximity distance.

11. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to receive a delivery location signal from the communication interface, the delivery location signal being broadcast from a node associated with the intended delivery location;

and

wherein the node processing unit is operative to selectively cause the actuator to change the state of the lockable opening to the open state by being further operative to cause the actuator to automatically unlock the lockable opening after receiving the delivery location signal.

12. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 11, wherein the node processing unit is operative to receive the delivery location signal by establishing a secure connection over the communication interface to the node associated with the intended delivery location.

13. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 11, wherein the delivery location signal is broadcast from a mobile node associated with the intended delivery location.

14. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 11, wherein the delivery location signal is broadcast from a fixed node associated with the intended delivery location.

15. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to generate an alert related to release of the item from the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle.

16. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 15, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to cause the communication interface to transmit the alert to a node associated with the intended delivery location.

17. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 15, wherein the node that is coupled to the logistics receptacle further comprises a user interface;

and

wherein the node processing unit is further operative to generate the alert by being operative to display the generated alert with the user interface.

18. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises a speaker;

and

wherein the node processing unit is further operative to generate the alert by being operative to play an auditory alert with the speaker.

19. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intended delivery location comprises a recipient related location.

20. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 19, wherein the recipient related location comprises a location of a mobile user access device identified in the shipping information, wherein the mobile user access device is operative to function as a master node and associated with a recipient for the item.

21. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 20, wherein the node processing unit is operative to selectively cause the actuator to change the state of the lockable opening to the open state by being further operative to:

establish a validation connection, using the communication interface, with the mobile user access device to authorize releasing the item; and

cause the actuator to change the state of the lockable opening to the open state based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the location of the mobile user access device and after successfully establishing the validation connection.

22. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 21, wherein the validation connection further comprises a secure validation connection, using the communication interface, with the mobile user access device.

23. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 21, wherein the node processing unit is operative to establish the validation connection using the communication interface by being further operative to establish an active prompted connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the mobile user access device over the wireless communication path to receive a prompted authorization release acknowledgement from the mobile user access device in order to authorize releasing the item.

24. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 21, wherein the node processing unit is operative to establish the validation connection using the communication interface by being further operative to establish a preauthorized connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the mobile user access device over the wireless communication path to automatically authorize releasing the item.

25. The mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle apparatus of claim 24, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to establish the preauthorized connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the mobile user access device to automatically authorize releasing the item based upon a previously authorized release validation condition that occurs automatically when the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle detects a signal broadcast as an advertising signal from the mobile user access device related to the recipient of the item.

26. A method for enhanced delivery management of an item being shipped using a mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle operative to temporarily maintain custody of the item within one of a plurality of storage area portions of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the method comprising:

identifying, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle detecting a wireless communication that contains shipping information from a node associated with the item within the one of the plurality of storage area portions, an intended delivery location specified by the shipping information and associated with the item;

detecting a current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle;

identifying, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based on the shipping information, the storage area portion that contains the item;

automatically and selectively releasing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the item from the identified storage area portion of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the identified intended delivery location;

wherein the identified intended delivery location comprises a location of a mobile user access device operative to function as a master node and interact with the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, wherein the mobile user access device is associated with a recipient for the item and the location of the mobile user access device is independently located relative to the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle as the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle approaches the identified intended delivery location.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising establishing a secure connection to the node associated with the item.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the secure connection comprises an encrypted exchange of the shipping information.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the selectively releasing step further comprises:

comparing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle to the identified intended delivery location; and

releasing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the item from a storage area within the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based upon the comparison of the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle to the identified intended delivery location.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the releasing step further comprises releasing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the item from the storage area when the comparison of the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle to the identified intended delivery location indicates the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle is within a threshold proximity area associated with the intended delivery location.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the selectively releasing step further comprises:

determining, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, a proximity distance between the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the identified intended delivery location; and

actuating, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, a lockable opening to a storage area on the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle to release the item based upon the determined proximity distance.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the actuating step further automatically unlocking, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the lockable opening to a storage area on the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle to release the item when the determined proximity distance is less than a threshold proximity distance.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of automatically unlocking further comprises

identifying a portion of the storage area that maintains the item;

automatically, when the determined proximity distance is less than the threshold proximity distance, unlocking an access opening to the identified portion of the storage area to provide delivery access to the item.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising maintaining a locked state for a remaining part of the storage area that is not identified as the portion of the storage area that maintains the item.

35. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of receiving, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, a delivery location signal broadcast from a node associated with the intended delivery location;

and

wherein the selectively releasing step comprises automatically unlocking, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, an opening to the storage area portion maintaining the item after receiving the delivery location signal.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising establishing a secure connection to the node associated with the intended delivery location.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of automatically unlocking further comprises:

automatically, after receiving the delivery location signal, unlocking an access opening to the identified portion of the storage area portion to provide delivery access to the item.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising maintaining a locked state for a remaining part of the storage area that is not identified as the portion of the storage area that maintains the item.

39. The method of claim 26 further comprising generating an alert related to releasing the item from the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein the selectively releasing step further comprises:

establishing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, a validation connection with the mobile user access device to authorize releasing the item; and

releasing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the item from within the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the location of the mobile user access device and after successfully establishing the validation connection.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the validation connection further comprises a secure validation connection with the mobile user access device.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the establishing step further comprises establishing an active prompted connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the mobile user access device to receive a prompted authorization release acknowledgement from the mobile user access device in order to authorize releasing the item.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the establishing step further comprises establishing a preauthorized connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the mobile user access device to automatically authorize releasing the item.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein establishing the preauthorized connection further comprises establishing the preauthorized connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the mobile user access device to automatically authorize releasing the item based upon a previously authorized release validation condition that occurs automatically when the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle detects a signal broadcast as an advertising signal from the mobile user access device related to the recipient of the item.

45. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of selectively releasing the item further comprises selectively articulating a lockable element on the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle to cause the item to separate from the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the lockable element comprises at least one from the group consisting of one or more doors supporting the item while in a closed state but allowing the item to transfer from the mobile node-enabled receptacle in an open state, and one or more articulating grips holding the item in a secure configuration in the closed state but releasing the item from the secure configuration in the open state.

47. A method for enhanced delivery management of an item being shipped using a mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle operative to temporarily maintain custody of the item within one of a plurality of storage area portions of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the method comprising:

identifying, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle detecting a wireless communication that contains shipping from a node associated with the item within the one of the plurality of storage area portions, an intended delivery location specified by the shipping information and associated with the item that comprises a location of a fixed node that is associated with the delivery location;

detecting a current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle;

identifying, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based on the shipping information, the storage area portion that contains the item; and

automatically and selectively releasing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the item from the identified storage area portion of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the location of the fixed node that is associated with the delivery location.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the selectively releasing step further comprises:

establishing a validation connection with the node having a fixed location at the intended delivery location to authorize releasing the item; and

releasing, by the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle, the item from within the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle based upon the detected current location of the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the location of the node having the fixed location at the intended delivery location and after establishing the validation connection.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the step of establishing the validation connection further comprises establishing a secure validation connection with the node having the fixed location at the intended delivery location.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the validation connection comprises at least one of a prompted connection with the node having the fixed location at the intended delivery location and a preauthorized connection between the mobile node-enabled logistics receptacle and the node having the fixed location at the intended delivery location.