REMOTE INITIATION OF INTERACTION BY A COMPUTING ENTITY

• US 20170323545A1
• Filed: 11/11/2016
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gillen, Robert J., White, Lee, Coffey, Mark, Fagan, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 9,905,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/24 by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer program products for interactive deliveries are provided. For an upcoming service point that is associated with a service point device, it is determined whether the item to be delivered to the service point is within an activation zone for activating the service point device. Responsive to determining that the item is within the activation zone, the service point device is remotely activated. Remotely activating the service point device triggers dynamical provision of an alert interface. An indication of user interaction via the user interface indicating availability of the user to receive the item is received. A notification of the indication of the user interaction is provided. If the notification indicates that the individual is available to receive the item at the service point, the item is delivered to or picked-up from the service point.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a communication, by a service point device using a short range or long range communication technology, between an item located at a service point and the service point device, wherein (a) the service point device is located at the service point and is configured to communicate both through the short range or long range communication technology and through an Internet protocol network, and (b) there are a series of scheduled communications between the item and the service point device;

receiving, by the service point device, a communication of the series of scheduled communications provided by the item;

determining, by the service point device, whether a characteristic of the communication is in accordance with an expected characteristic of the communication, based at least in part on at least one previous communication; and

in response to determining that the characteristic of the communication is not in accordance with the expected characteristic, determining that the item has been moved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the communication is a signal strength of the communication, geophysical coordinates of the item provided by the communication, image or video data of the item, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the item has been moved, providing an indication that that item has been moved.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in the characteristic of the communication indicates that the item has been moved such that the item is no longer within communication range of the service point device using the short range or long range communication technology and not within the field of view of an imaging device of the service point device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises the item sending a periodic communication to the service point device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a periodic call and response communication between the service point device and the item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises the service point device capturing image and/or video data of the item.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the communication comprises the item sending a periodic communication to the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the communication comprises a periodic call and response communication between the apparatus and the item.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the communication comprises the apparatus capturing image and/or video data of the item.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) the item was delivered to the service point location via a delivery vehicle or the item was placed at the service point location for pick up via a delivery vehicle and (b) the delivery vehicle is (i) an unmanned terrestrial vehicle, (ii) an unmanned aerial vehicle, or (iii) a manned terrestrial vehicle.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code, the apparatus being configured to communicate both through (a) the short range or long range communication protocol technology and (b) through an Internet protocol network, the apparatus being located at a service point, and the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

establish a communication using the short range or long range communication technology, between an item located at the service point and the apparatus, wherein there are a series of scheduled communications between the item and the apparatus;

receive a communication of the series of scheduled communications provided by the item;

determine whether a characteristic of the communication is in accordance with an expected characteristic of the communication, based at least in part on at least one previous communication; and

in response to determining that the characteristic of the communication is not in accordance with the expected characteristic, determine that the item has been moved.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the communication is a signal strength of the communication, geophysical coordinates of the item provided by the communication, image or video data of the item, or any combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least, in response to determining that the item has been moved, provide an indication that that item has been moved.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the change in the characteristic indicates that the item has been moved such that the item is no longer within communication range of the apparatus using the short range or long range communication technology and/or within the field of view of an imaging device of the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein (a) the item was delivered to the service point location via a delivery vehicle or the item was placed at the service point location for pick up via a delivery vehicle and (b) the delivery vehicle is (i) an unmanned terrestrial vehicle, (ii) an unmanned aerial vehicle, or (iii) a manned terrestrial vehicle.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions configured to:

establish a communication, by a service point device using a short range or long range communication technology, between an item located at a service point and the service point device, wherein (a) the service point device is located at the service point and is configured to communicate both through the short range or long range communication technology and through an Internet protocol network, and (b) there are a series of scheduled communications between the item and the service point device;

receive, by the service point device, a communication of the series of scheduled communications provided by the item;

determine, by the service point device, whether a characteristic of the communication is in accordance with an expected characteristic of the communication, based at least in part on at least one previous communication; and

in response to determining that the characteristic of the communication is not in accordance with the expected characteristic, determine that the item has been moved.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the characteristic of the communication is a signal strength of the communication, geophysical coordinates of the item provided by the communication, image or video data of the item, or any combination thereof.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code instructions are further configured to, in response to determining that the item has been moved, provide an indication that that item has been moved.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the change in characteristic indicates that the item has been moved such that the item is no longer within communication range of the service point device using the short range or long range communication technology and/or within the field of view of an imaging device of the service point device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the communication comprises the item sending a periodic communication to the service point device.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the communication comprises a periodic call and response communication between the service point device and the item.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the communication comprises the apparatus capturing image and/or video data of the item.

24. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein (a) the item was delivered to the service point location via a delivery vehicle or the item was placed at the service point location for pick up via a delivery vehicle and (b) the delivery vehicle is (i) an unmanned terrestrial vehicle, (ii) an unmanned aerial vehicle, or (iii) a manned terrestrial vehicle.