Body mounted camera system for monitoring deliveries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11087602-B2
Application number	US-201916450044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2019
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A delivery monitoring system comprises a portable camera positioned on a delivery person; a camera activation application executed by a mobile electronic device to control a video-generating operation of the portable camera; and a special-purpose processor that outputs a data instruction to an electronic locking device to unlock an entrance to a location for delivering an item by the delivery person only when the portable camera is recording video.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A delivery monitoring system, comprising:
a mobile electronic device communicatively coupled to a portable camera associated with a delivery person so that the mobile electronic device forms a communication link with the portable camera, the mobile electronic device receiving delivery instructions for delivery of a first item to a first location and delivery of a second item to a second location, the first location and the second location being physically different;
a camera activation application executed by the mobile electronic device physically separate from and in remote control via the communication link of the portable camera to control a video-generating operation of the portable camera;
a credential module executed by the mobile electronic device to obtain first credentials from a remote data storage, the first credentials pertaining to a first location associated with the received delivery instructions for the first item;
a location module executed by the mobile electronic device to determine a current location of the mobile electronic device; and
a video monitoring module executed by the mobile electronic device to receive an indication from the location module that the current location is the first location associated with the received delivery instructions, identify the portable camera is activated and generating video, and communicate with a special-purpose processor to output a data instruction to a first electronic locking device to unlock an entrance to the first location in response to the video monitoring module establishing that the portable camera is actively recording the video and the delivery person and the portable camera are within a predetermined distance from the entrance having the first electronic locking device where the delivery of the first item is to be made.

2. The delivery monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the portable camera includes a body mounted camera.

3. The delivery monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the camera activation application executed by the mobile electronic device communicates with an activation mechanism of the portable camera to trigger the portable camera to begin the video-generating operation in response to a determination that the mobile electronic device is within the predetermined distance from the electronic locking device.

4. The delivery monitoring system of claim 3 , the location module executed by the mobile electronic device receives and processes global positioning satellite (GPS) verification data that provides the current location of the mobile electronic device.

5. The delivery monitoring system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless fidelity (WiFi) credential module executed by the mobile electronic device that requests credentials from a location-based WiFi network to establish a communication path for at least a portion of the generated video.

6. The delivery monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the video monitoring module determines a communication path from the portable camera to a video storage device.

7. The delivery monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile electronic device is in communication with a special purpose computer hardware processor that verifies whether the electronic locking device is unlocked in response to receiving the data instruction.

8. The delivery monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile electronic device communicates with a remote data storage via a network to obtain stored data for performing home delivery security functions.

9. The delivery monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the portable camera and the mobile electronic device each includes a network interface that permits an exchange of credential data from the mobile electronic device to the portable camera.

10. A method for security during a delivery operation, the method comprising:
determining, by a mobile electronic device, whether the mobile electronic device is within a predetermined distance from an entrance having an electronic locking device, the entrance associated with an instructed delivery of an item;
responsive to determining that the mobile electronic device is within the predetermined distance, sending an activation command to a portable camera to control video-generation operations during the delivery operation, the portable camera including an activation mechanism that receives the activation command and places the portable camera in a pairing mode with the mobile electronic device so that the mobile electronic device forms a communication link with the portable camera;
obtaining credentials from a remote data storage pertaining to the instructed delivery and the entrance having the electronic locking device;
establishing a network connection between the portable camera and a video storage device for uploading a generated video based on the obtained credentials;
determining that the portable camera is actively recording to generate the generated video and uploading to the video storage device; and
responsive to a determination that the portable camera is actively recording and uploading the generated video to the video storage device, sending an unlock command to a special-purpose processor associated with the electronic locking device to control unlocking the entrance to a location associated with the instructed delivery of the item.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the video is generated before, during, and after the delivery operation.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining whether a delivery person associated with the delivery operation has exited the location;
responsive to determining that the delivery person has exited, sending a locking command to the special-purpose processor associated with the electronic device to control locking the entrance;
receiving a response from the special-purpose processor associated with the electronic locking device; and
responsive to the received response confirming a locked state of the electronic locking device, sending a deactivation command to the portable camera to stop recording the video and deleting network credentials required for establishing the network connection to complete the delivery operation.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining a failure of a video stream established by the network connection; and
automatically uploading the generated video to an alternative storage location in response to the determination of the failure.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
a data communication path between the portable camera and a media server that includes a single data stream that provides both live video data and backup video data.

15. An apparatus for secure delivery, the apparatus comprising:
a user interface;
a memory; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to:
determine whether the apparatus is within a predetermined distance from an entrance having an electronic locking device, the entrance associated with a location corresponding to an instructed delivery of an item;
responsive to determining that the apparatus is within the predetermined distance, send an activation command to a portable camera to control video-generation operations during the secure delivery, the portable camera including an activation mechanism that receives the activation command and places the portable camera in a pairing mode with the apparatus so that the apparatus forms a communication link with the portable camera;
obtain credentials from a remote data storage pertaining to the instructed delivery and the entrance having the electronic lockin

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Lark Walter
• Stein Bart
• Nguyen Thomas
• Provance Brett

Classifications

• H04W12/64

  using geofenced areas · CPC title

• G08B13/19658

  Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS · CPC title

• G07C9/00571

  operated by interacting with a central unit · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• G07C9/00896 Primary

  specially adapted for particular uses · CPC title