Package tracking utilizing modifiable delivery tags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11301800-B1
Application number	US-201615069912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

In some examples, a movement range indicating a geospatial boundary for executing delivery of a package including a delivery tag may be received by a user device. The delivery tag can include a modifiable display area including first identification information. Location information related to the user device or related to the delivery tag can also be received. A position of the user device or the delivery tag with respect to the geospatial boundary can be determined. Based on the position, the modifiable display area of the delivery tag can be modified to include second identification information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a delivery device, comprising:
a structure configured to attach to a package that is to be delivered to a user location;
a modifiable display area attached to the structure and configured to display a first version of a barcode, the modifiable display area configured to display any one version of a plurality of versions of the barcode at any one time;
a fluid emitting device attached to the structure and in communication with a delivery management module; and
a location sensor attached to the structure and in communication with the delivery management module, the delivery management module configured to:
receive a delivery movement range that indicates a geospatial boundary associated with delivering the package to the user location;
receive location information from the location sensor; [[and]]
modify the modifiable display area to display a second version of the barcode in response to detecting the delivery device has moved outside the geospatial boundary based at least in part on the location information; and
send a signal to the fluid emitting device based at least in part on the geospatial boundary and the location information, the fluid emitting device being configured to emit a fluid outside of the delivery device responsive to receiving the signal; and

a scanner configured to detect the fluid as indicating that the package was outside the geospatial boundary when delivered.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the barcode comprises an indicator region and a barcode region, the first version of the barcode comprising a first indicator in the indicator region and the barcode in the barcode region, the second version of the barcode comprising a second indicator in the indicator region and the barcode in the barcode region.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modifiable display area comprises a lenticular image comprising the first version of the barcode and the second version of the barcode, wherein irrespective of a viewing angle at which the modifiable display area is viewed, only one of the first version of the barcode or the second version of the barcode is visible at any one time.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein modifying the modifiable display area to display the second version of the barcode comprises the delivery management module sending a second signal to the modifiable display area that causes the lenticular image to reveal the second version of the barcode.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the modifiable display area comprises a plurality of images printed using lenticular printing, each image of the plurality of images being associated with a corresponding version of the plurality of versions of the barcode and being selectable based at least in part on the second signal from the delivery management module.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first version of the barcode includes encoded delivery information for delivering the package to the user location, the second version of the barcode includes encoded anomaly information identifying that the delivery device was located outside the geospatial boundary, and a third version of the barcode includes encoded return information for returning the package to a sender.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the delivery management module is further configured to:
receive a third signal from a user device, the third signal generated by the user device responsive to receiving input indicating that the package has been delivered to the user location or that the package has been picked up from the user location; and
modifying, based at least in part on the third signal, the modifiable display area to display the third version of the barcode.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a delivery movement range indicating a geospatial boundary associated with delivering a package to a user at a delivery location, the package having a modifiable delivery tag attached thereto, the modifiable delivery tag comprising a modifiable display area and a fluid emitting device, the modifiable display area including first identification information relating to the package;
prior to delivering the package to the user at the delivery location, receiving location information;
causing modification of the modifiable display area to include second identification information relating to the package based at least in part on the geospatial boundary and the location information;
causing sending of a signal to the fluid emitting device based at least in part on the geospatial boundary and the location information, the fluid emitting device being configured to emit the fluid outside the modifiable delivery tag in response to receiving the signal; and
detecting, by a scanner, the fluid as indicated that the package was outside the geospatial boundary when delivered.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the first identification information relating to the package comprises a first version of a barcode including encoded delivery information relating to delivering the package to the user at the delivery location, and the second identification information relating to the package comprises a second version of the barcode including encoded anomaly information identifying that the modifiable delivery tag was located outside the geospatial boundary at least once.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
scanning the second identification information relating to the package;
generating, based at least in part on information associated with the second identification information, anomaly information that at least indicates that the modifiable delivery tag was located outside the geospatial boundary at least once; and
transmitting at least a portion of the anomaly information to a server.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the modifiable display area comprises a lenticular image, wherein causing the modification of the modifiable display area to include the second identification information relating to the package comprises causing sending of a second signal to the modifiable display area that causes the lenticular image to reveal the second identification information relating to the package.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein causing the modification of the modifiable display area to include the second identification information relating to the package comprises:
causing a writing device of a user device to modify one or more physical characteristics of the modifiable display area to create the second identification information relating to the package; or
causing a mechanism of the modifiable display area to rotate such that the first identification information is hidden and the second identification information is visible.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein causing the modification of the modifiable display area to display the second identification information is based at least in part on detecting that a duration of a position of the modifiable delivery tag being outside the geospatial boundary has exceeded a duration threshold that indicates a maximum duration for the modifiable delivery tag to be outside the geospatial boundary.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining a plurality of distance measurements representing distances between the geospatial boundary and a plurality of positions outside the geospatial boundary at which the modifiable delivery tag was located.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein causing the modification of the mod

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Bhagwat Chinmay Hemant

Classifications

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• G08B21/0261

  System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833 Primary

  Tracking · CPC title

• G06Q10/063114 Primary

  Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group · CPC title

• G09F3/208

  Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays · CPC title