SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STORAGE CONTAINER TRACKING AND DELIVERY

• US 20140012773A1
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boxbe Incorporated (Mobile Tulip Holding BV)
• Original Assignee: Boxbe Incorporated (Mobile Tulip Holding BV)
• Inventors: Matthews, Kristopher D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/333
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

A method for item storage and distribution to a user, each stored item associated with a storage identifier, the user associated with a user identifier, the method including associating a set of storage identifiers with the user identifier, in response to receiving a description for a first storage identifier from a user device associated with the user identifier, storing the description as an storage description for the first storage identifier, setting a fill status of the first storage identifier to packed, and removing storage identifiers having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier.

Claims

1. A method for stored item distribution to a user, the user associated with a user identifier, the method comprising:

in response to receipt of a delivery request associated with the user identifier comprising a requested time and a requested location, facilitating delivery of a first container to the requested location at the requested time, the first container associated with a first storage identifier;

in response to receipt of the first storage identifier from a delivery device, associating a set of storage identifiers comprising the first storage identifier with the user identifier;

in response to receiving a media description from a user device associated with the user identifier, storing the media description as a storage description for the first storage identifier;

in response to receipt of a summary request associated with the user identifier, sending the storage description of the first storage identifier; and

in response to receipt of a retrieval request associated with the user identifier comprising a selection associated with the storage description, a retrieval location, and a retrieval time, facilitating delivery of the first container to the retrieval location at the retrieval time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a fill status of the first storage identifier to packed; and

removing a second storage identifier having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier;

wherein facilitating delivery of the first container to the requested location at the requested time comprises facilitating delivery of a container having an empty fill status to the requested location at the requested time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed comprises:

setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed in response to receiving a media description in association with the first storage identifier from the user device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed comprises:

setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed in response to receipt of the first storage identifier in association with a packed fill status from a second delivery device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein disassociating associated storage identifiers having an empty fill status from the user identifier comprises:

in response to receipt of a second storage identifier in association with an empty fill status from the second delivery device, disassociating the second storage identifier from the user identifier.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to receipt of a pickup request comprising a pickup time associated with the user identifier, facilitating container pickup from the requested location at the pickup time by the second delivery device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating delivery of at least the requested number of containers to the requested location at the requested time comprises sending a delivery request to the delivery device, the delivery request comprising the requested location and requested time.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting the delivery device from a plurality of delivery devices provided by a third party vehicle service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the user identifier with the set of storage identifiers comprises associating the user identifier with the set of storage identifiers in response to determination of the user identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the user identifier comprises:

receiving a delivery time and delivery location from the delivery device with the storage identifiers from the delivery device; and

determining the user identifier associated with a delivery request including a requested time and requested location similar to the delivery time and delivery location within a threshold time and location range, respectively.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to receipt of a set of storage identifiers from a delivery device, associating the user identifier with the set of storage identifiers comprises:

receiving a plurality of images from the delivery device;

extracting a signature pattern from each image; and

determining a storage identifier corresponding to the signature pattern.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the media description comprises a digital photographic image received from the user device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the media description comprises a list of contents of the container.

14. A method for stored item distribution to a user, each stored item associated with a storage identifier, the user associated with a user identifier, the method comprising:

associating a set of storage identifiers comprising a first storage identifier with the user identifier;

in response to receiving a description for a first storage identifier from a user device associated with the user identifier, storing the description as an storage description for the first storage identifier;

setting a fill status of the first storage identifier to packed; and

removing storage identifiers having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers comprises associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers, each storage identifier having an empty fill status.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers comprises associating a set of storage identifiers with the user identifier in response to receipt of a container request comprising a request location and requested number of containers from a user device associated with the user identifier, wherein a number of storage identifiers of the set associated with the user identifier is at least the requested number of containers.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising facilitating delivery of a first container identified by the first storage identifier to the request location in response to receipt of the container request.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers comprises associating the user identifier with the set of storage identifiers in response to receipt of the set of storage identifiers from a delivery device.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in response to receipt of a summary request from the user device associated with the user identifier, sending the storage description of the first storage identifier to the user device; and

in response to receipt of a retrieval request from the user device associated with the user identifier comprising a selection associated with the storage description and a retrieval location, facilitating delivery of the first container to the retrieval location.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed comprises setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed in response to receiving the description for the first container.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed comprises setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed in response to receipt of the first storage identifier in association with a packed fill status from a delivery device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein removing storage identifiers having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier comprises removing a second storage identifier having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier in response to receipt of the second storage identifier in association with an empty fill status from a delivery device.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving a description for the first storage identifier comprises receiving media indicative of container contents associated with the first storage identifier from the user device.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the media comprises a digital photograph image of the container contents.

25. A method for container distribution to a user, each container associated with a unique storage identifier, the user associated with a user identifier, the method comprising:

associating the user identifier with a set of storage identifiers;

storing a digital photograph of a container identified by the first storage identifier, received from a user device associated with the user identifier in association with the first storage identifier, as a storage description for the first storage identifier;

setting the fill status of the first storage identifier to packed;

removing a second storage identifier of the set having an empty fill status from the set of storage identifiers associated with the user identifier;

in response to receipt of a summary request associated with the user identifier, sending the digital photograph of the first storage identifier; and

in response to receipt of a retrieval request associated with the user identifier comprising a selection associated with the digital photograph of the first storage identifier, a retrieval location, and a retrieval time, facilitating delivery of a first container identified by the first storage identifier to the retrieval location at the retrieval time.