Pickup locations with modifiable storage compartment configurations and corresponding door operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053288-B1
Application number	US-201715673290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 9, 2017
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pickup location apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of storage compartments in a first storage compartment configuration;
at least one partition;
at least one partition positioning element that positions the at least one partition to modify the first storage compartment configuration to produce a second storage compartment configuration, wherein the at least one partition is positioned by the at least one partition positioning element to divide a first storage compartment of the first storage compartment configuration into second and third storage compartments that are part of the second storage compartment configuration;
a first door with a first hinge, the first door providing an opening of a first size that corresponds to a size of the first storage compartment, wherein the first door provides access to the first storage compartment in the first storage compartment configuration;
a second door with a second hinge that is different than the first hinge, the second door providing an opening of a second size that corresponds to a size of the second storage compartment, wherein the second door provides access to the second storage compartment in the second storage compartment configuration; and
a third door with a third hinge that is different than the first hinge, the third door providing an opening of a third size that corresponds to a size of the third storage compartment, wherein the third door provides access to the third storage compartment in the second storage compartment configuration;
wherein the first door is located on a first side of the pickup location apparatus and the second and third doors are located on a second side of the pickup location apparatus.

2. The pickup location apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third doors comprise first, second and third locking mechanisms, respectively, and
wherein the pickup location apparatus further comprises a control station that is configured to control the first, second and third locking mechanisms.

3. The pickup location apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control station stores a first door operation for opening the first door as associated with the first storage compartment configuration and stores second and third door operations for opening the second and third doors, respectively, as associated with the second storage compartment configuration.

4. The pickup location apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sides correspond to front and back sides of the pickup location apparatus.

5. The pickup location apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control station that controls the at least one partition positioning element.

6. A system, comprising:
a pickup location apparatus, comprising:
a first storage compartment;
a partition that is configured to be positioned to divide the first storage compartment to form a second storage compartment that is smaller than the first storage compartment; and
first and second doors, wherein the first and second doors are separately hinged and are hinged on opposite sides; and

a computing system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:
store a first door operation for operating the first door to provide a first opening of a first size to provide access to the first storage compartment; and
store a second door operation for operating the second door to provide a second opening of a second size to provide access to the second storage compartment.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to control a partition positioning element to position the partition to divide the first storage compartment to form the second storage compartment based at least in part on a size of an item that is to be stored in the second storage compartment.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to utilize the second door operation for operating the second door to provide access to the second storage compartment in response to receiving at least one of an access code or instructions for enabling a user to retrieve the item from the second storage compartment.

9. The system of claim 6 , further comprising first and second locking mechanisms for locking the first and second doors, respectively, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to:
control the first locking mechanism to unlock the first door as part of the first door operation; and
control the second locking mechanism to unlock the second door as part of the second door operation.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first door operation also includes operating the second door in addition to the first door to provide access to the first storage compartment.

11. A pickup location apparatus, comprising:
a first door providing an opening of a first size that corresponds to a size of a first storage compartment, wherein the first door is configured to provide access to the first storage compartment;
a partition for dividing the first storage compartment to form at least a second storage compartment that is smaller than the first storage compartment; and
a second door that is operated independently of the first door, wherein the second door is configured to provide access to the second storage compartment when the partition is utilized to form the second storage compartment;
wherein the first and second doors are sliding doors and the first opening of the first size is provided between the first and second doors.

12. The pickup location apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a partition positioning element that is controlled to position the partition to divide the first storage compartment to form the second storage compartment.

13. The pickup location apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a control station that controls the first and second doors.

14. The pickup location apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the control station stores a first door operation for controlling the first and second doors to provide the opening of the first size that corresponds to the size of the first storage compartment, and stores a second door operation for controlling the first and second doors to provide an opening of a second size that corresponds to the size of the second storage compartment.

15. The pickup location apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising at least one motor or actuator, wherein at least one of the first or second doors is driven by the at least one motor or actuator.

16. The pickup location apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the size of the second storage compartment is adjusted by moving the partition to a different position within the first storage compartment, and after the size of the second storage compartment is adjusted, an amount of opening that is provided between the first and second sliding doors to provide access to the second storage compartment is adjusted by the control station to match the new size of the second storage compartment.

17. A pickup location apparatus, comprising:
a first door providing an opening of a first size that corresponds to a size of a first storage compartment, wherein the first door is configured to provide access to the first storage compartment;
a partition for dividing the first st

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Rawal Sagar Amrutlal

Classifications

• G06Q10/0836

  Recipient pick-ups · CPC title

• B65G1/137 Primary

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title

• G07F17/13 Primary

  the containers being a postal pick-up locker · CPC title

• G06Q10/0875

  Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials · CPC title