Systems and methods for confirming an identity of an individual, for example, at a locker bank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11182733-B2
Application number	US-201916267915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2019
Priority date	Oct 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

Systems, according to various embodiments, are adapted to use any of a variety of different techniques to identify an individual. In particular embodiments, the system is adapted to, at least partially in response to confirming the identity of a consignee of a parcel, provide the consignee with access to a parcel stored within a secured locker. In particular embodiments, the system may use the current or past location of the consignee, or information from one or more objects physically associated with the consignee (e.g., a portable computing device or an electronic or paper info notice) to verify the consignee's identity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for directing one or more parcels to a suitable locker bank location and facilitating a release of the one or more parcels from the suitable locker bank location, the method comprising:
receiving, by a locker bank computing device associated with a locker bank location, a first request to deliver one or more parcels to the locker bank location;
providing access to one or more lockers at the locker bank location, each of the one or more lockers having an interior storage volume;
receiving a first indication that the one or more parcels have been placed in a particular one of the one or more lockers;
associating the one or more parcels with the particular one of the one or more lockers;
receiving, from an individual at the locker bank computing device, a second request to retrieve the one or more parcels from the particular one of the one or more lockers;
confirming an identity of the individual as an individual authorized to retrieve the one or more parcels from the particular of the one or more lockers, wherein confirming the identity comprises:
identifying information comprising a current physical location of a portable computing device associated with the individual and using the current physical location of the portable computing device associated with the individual to confirm the individual is at the locker bank location;
associating the one or more parcels with the identity of the individual; and
facilitating, releasing of the one or more parcels from the interior storage volume of the particular one of the one or more lockers, wherein facilitating the release of the one or more parcels from the particular one of the one or more lockers to the individual comprises automatically unlocking a secure door of the particular one of the one or more lockers containing the one or more parcels to provide the individual with access to an interior of the particular one of the one or more parcels.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a consignee, a third request to view tracking information associated with the one or more parcels; and
displaying the tracking information and a location of the locker bank to the consignee.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein:
the consignee is associated with a consignee account associated with a carrier responsible for handling the one or more parcels; and
the method further comprises notifying the consignee via the consignee account of the delivery of the one or more parcels to the locker bank location.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein:
the notification to the consignee comprises a machine-readable indicia, the machine-readable indicia being associated with the one or more parcels and the consignee account;
receiving the second request comprises receiving information derived from a reading, by a machine-readable indicia reading device, of the machine-readable indicia at the suitable locker bank location; and
confirming the identity of the individual further comprises substantially automatically confirming the identity of the individual based at least in part on receiving the information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the individual is selected from a group consisting of:
i. the consignee; and
ii. an individual on behalf of the consignee.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
confirming the identity of the individual comprises:
receiving one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the one or more parcels;
reading, via a card reader associated with the locker box computing device for the particular locker bank location, an identification card associated with the individual;
verifying an authenticity of the identification card;
determining one or more pieces of identifying information associated with the individual; and
comparing the one or more pieces of package level detail information with the one or more pieces of identifying information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein:
the one or more pieces of package level detail information comprise a first name of the consignee, a last name of the consignee, and an address of the consignee;
the one or more pieces of identifying information comprise a first name of the individual, a last name of the individual, and an address of the consignee; and
the threshold number is two pieces of the one or more pieces of package level detail information and the one or more pieces of identifying information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
confirming the identity of the individual comprises:
receiving, from the individual, a telephone number associated with the individual;
determining, based at least in part on the telephone number, one or more pieces of identifying information associated with the individual;
receiving, one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the one or more parcels;
comparing the one or more pieces of package level detail information with the one or more pieces of identifying information;
determining whether at least a threshold number of the one or more pieces of identifying information are substantially similar to the one or more pieces of package level detail information; and
confirming the identity of the individual.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:
receiving original delivery location information for the parcel;
receiving geographic history information for the consignee, the geographic history information comprising information regarding one or more locations visited by the consignee in the past on a regular basis;
using the original delivery location information and the geographic history information to determine whether the consignee has visited the original delivery location on a regular basis; and
confirming the identity of the consignee.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:
receiving a current location of the consignee from a social media account associated with the consignee;
using the current location of the consignee to confirm that the consignee is at the suitable locker bank location; and
confirming the identity of the consignee.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein confirming the identity of the consignee comprises:
receiving identifying data from a mobile device associated with the individual, the identifying data being unique to the individual; and
using the identifying data to confirm the identity of the consignee.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for:
receiving, from an individual at a locker bank computing device, a request to retrieve a parcel from a particular locker bank, the parcel having a consignee and currently being stored in a particular locker at the particular locker bank, the particular locker having an interior storage volume;
retrieving one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the parcel;
determining whether at least a threshold number of one or more pieces of identifying information associated with the individual are substantially similar to the one or more pieces of package level detail information associated with the one or more parcels;
confirming an identity of the individual as an individual authorized to retrieve the parcel, wherein confirming the identity comprises:
obtaining an individual's mobile phone number and utilizing the individual's mobile phone

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Robinson Kalin
• Carder David
• Gillen Robert J

Classifications

• G06Q10/0836 Primary

  Recipient pick-ups · CPC title

• G06Q10/0838

  Historical data · CPC title

• G06F2221/2141

  Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices · CPC title

• G06F21/62

  Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules · CPC title