Mobile locker bank systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10089808-B2
Application number	US-201715608781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A locker bank system for expanding the capacity of a fixed locker bank having monitors when the number of available lockers drops below a predefined threshold capacity at the fixed locker bank. In response to this trigger, a mobile locker bank is automatically routed to the fixed locker bank to increase a number of available lockers at the location. A computing system at the fixed locker bank and the mobile locker bank are adapted to control access to the fixed and mobile locker bank lockers. Each locker bank further includes a communication system that is adapted to facilitate direct or indirect communication between the fixed locker bank computing system and the mobile locker bank computing system when the mobile locker bank is positioned adjacent the location of the fixed locker bank. Together the fixed locker bank and the mobile locker bank may function as a unitary locker bank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A locker bank system comprising:
a. a first fixed-position locker bank positioned at a second location, the first fixed-position locker bank comprising:
i. a plurality of fixed-position locker bank lockers, each of the fixed-position locker bank lockers comprising a housing defining: (1) an interior storage portion that is accessible through an opening in the housing, (2) a door that is moveably mounted to the housing and moveable between (a) a first position, in which the door is positioned to prevent access to the interior storage portion through the opening, and (b) a second position, in which the door is positioned to permit access to the interior storage portion through the opening;
ii. a locking system that is adapted to, for each respective one of the plurality of lockers of the fixed-position locker bank, selectively lock the respective locker's door in the first position;
iii. a first computing system comprising:
at least one first computer processor;
a first memory operatively coupled to the at least one first computer processor;
a first user interface operatively coupled to the at least one first computer processor, the first user interface for receiving information from, and for communicating information to, a user, wherein:
the first computing system is adapted to control access to the respective interior storage portions of the plurality of fixed-position locker bank lockers based on input received via the first user interface;

b. a mobile locker bank comprising:
i. a plurality of mobile locker bank lockers, each of the mobile locker bank lockers comprising:
a locker housing defining:
an interior item storage portion that is accessible through an opening in the locker housing,
a locker door that is moveably mounted to the locker housing and is moveable between
(a) a first position, in which the locker door is positioned to prevent access to the locker housing's interior item storage portion through the opening in the locker housing, and
(b) a second position, in which the locker door is positioned to permit access to the interior item storage portion through the opening in the locker housing; and

ii. a mobile locker locking system that is adapted to, for each respective one of the plurality of lockers of the mobile locker bank, selectively lock the respective locker's door in the first position;
iii. a second computing system comprising:
at least one second computer processor;
a second memory operatively coupled to the at least one second computer processor;
wherein the second computing system is adapted to control access to the respective interior storage portions of the mobile locker bank lockers; and

c. a communications system that is adapted to facilitate communications between the first computing system and the second computing system when the mobile locker bank is positioned at the second location so that the first fixed-position locker bank and the mobile locker bank function as a single, combined locker bank,
wherein the locker bank system is configured to:
i. instruct the user to move a parcel from one of the plurality of mobile locker bank lockers to one of the plurality of lockers in the first fixed-position locker bank located at the second location; and
ii. update information associated with the parcel to include information regarding the one of the plurality of lockers that the parcel was moved into.

2. The locker bank system of claim 1 , wherein the second computing system further comprises a second user interface operatively coupled to the at least one second computer processor, the second user interface adapted for receiving information from, and for communicating information to, the user.

3. The locker bank system of claim 2 , wherein the user can request release of an item stored in the first fixed-position locker bank using the second user interface.

4. The locker bank system of claim 1 , wherein when a request is made to place an item into the fixed-position locker bank, a search is performed of the plurality of lockers within the first fixed-position locker bank and the plurality of lockers within the mobile locker bank to find an available locker.

5. The locker bank system of claim 1 , wherein the user can request release of an item stored in the mobile locker bank using the first user interface.

6. The locker bank system of claim 1 , wherein the communication system comprises a wired connection between the first fixed-position locker bank and the mobile locker bank that, when connected, serves to enable communication between the first computing system and the second computing device.

7. The locker bank system of claim 1 , wherein the communication system comprises a wireless connection that, when connected, serves to enable communication between the first computing system and the second computing system.

8. The locker bank system of claim 7 , wherein the wireless connection is via a cellular network.

9. The locker bank system of claim 7 , wherein the wireless connection is a BLUETOOTH communication connection between the first computing system and the second computing system.

10. The locker bank system of claim 1 , further comprising a second fixed-position locker bank positioned at a third location, the second fixed-position locker bank comprising:
i. another plurality of fixed-position locker bank lockers, each of the another plurality of fixed-position locker bank lockers comprising a housing defining: (1) another interior storage portion that is accessible through an opening in the housing, (2) another door that is moveably mounted to the housing and moveable between (a) another first position, in which the door is positioned to prevent access to the interior storage portion through the opening, and (b) another second position, in which the door is positioned to permit access to the interior storage portion through the opening;
ii. another locking system that is adapted to, for each respective one of the another plurality of fixed-position locker bank lockers of the second fixed-position locker bank, selectively lock the respective locker's door in the another first position;
iii. a third computing system comprising:
i. at least one third computer processor;
ii. third memory operatively coupled to the at least one third computer processor;
iii. a third user interface operatively coupled to the at least one third computer processor, the third user interface for receiving information from, and for communicating information to, the user, wherein:
the third computing system is adapted to control access to the respective interior storage portions of the another plurality of fixed-position locker bank lockers based on input received via the third user interface,

wherein when the mobile locker bank is moved from the second location to the third location, the communication system is adapted to facilitate communication between the second computing system and the third computing system so that the second fixed-position locker bank and the mobile locker bank function as another single, combined locker bank.

11. The locker bank system of claim 10 , wherein when the mobile locker bank is moved from the second location to the third location, the locker bank system is configured to update each package level data associated with each respective parcel stored in a locker in the mobile locker bank to include information associated with the first fixed-position locker bank located at the second location.

12. A locker bank system comprising:
a. a first fixed-position locker bank positioned at a first location comprising:
i. a plurality of first fixed-position locker bank lockers, each of

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Perez Juan
• Gillen Robert J
• Robinson Kalin

Classifications

• G06Q10/0836

  Recipient pick-ups · CPC title

• G07C9/00912 Primary

  for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like · CPC title

• G07C2209/63

  Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle · CPC title

• G07C2009/00769

  with data transmission performed by wireless means · CPC title

• G07C9/00309 Primary

  operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title