Self-service express cabinet and package delivery method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926477-B2
Application number	US-202015929514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a self-service express cabinet and a package delivery method. The self-service express cabinet may include: a cabinet body including a sending window and a chamber, wherein the sending window may be connected with the chamber, and the sending window may be disposed on a surface of the cabinet body; a human-machine interaction device disposed on the cabinet body for information interaction with a user; an inspection device disposed in the chamber and capable of performing security inspection on a package dropped into the chamber for delivery, wherein the inspection device may have a receiving end and an output end, and at least part of the receiving end may be located within a scope of a forward projection of the sending window; and at least one storage component disposed in the chamber and corresponding to the output end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a cabinet body comprising a sending window and a chamber, wherein the sending window is connected with the chamber, and the sending window is disposed on a surface of the cabinet body;
a human-machine interaction device disposed on the cabinet body for information interaction with a user;
an inspection device disposed in the chamber and configured to perform a security inspection on a package dropped into the chamber for delivery for dangerous or explosive items, wherein the inspection device has a receiving end and an output end, and at least part of the receiving end is located within a scope of a forward projection of the sending window, wherein the security inspection includes generating a scanned image of the package;
at least one storage component disposed in the chamber and corresponding to the output end to receive the package passing through the inspection device;
a package conveying device configured to convey the package from the sending window to the receiving end of the inspection device, from the receiving end to the output end of the inspection device and from the output end to one of the at least one storage component; and
a processor and a memory configured to cause the processor to execute a method comprising:
sending the scanned image to a remote judgment terminal;
receiving confirmation from the judgment terminal that the package has passed security inspection; and
accepting the package;

wherein the security inspection is performed by an artificial intelligence locally and at the judgment terminal;
wherein the security inspection is repeated if the local judgment performed by the artificial intelligence and the judgment performed at the judgment terminal are inconsistent.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection device comprises a conveying component, a ray component, a detector component, and a weighing component, the conveying component extends from the sending window in a direction towards the storage component, the ray component and the detector component are used to perform security inspection on the package, and the weighing component is disposed at a bottom of the package conveying device and used to detect a weight of the package.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising multiple storage components
wherein a collecting window is further disposed on the surface of the cabinet body, and a forward projection of the collecting window is located within a scope of the movement trajectory of the package.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the package conveying device comprises a conveying track and a bracket, the multiple storage components are disposed on the bracket, and the bracket is disposed on the conveying track and drives the storage components to move along the conveying track;
wherein the conveying track is a revolving track.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the package conveying device comprises a foldable bracket, the foldable bracket comprises multiple telescopic units, the storage components are telescopic storage components, each of the telescopic units is disposed with at least one storage component, and the storage components perform synchronous telescopic movement with the telescopic units.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the multiple storage components are storage brackets reciprocating along a first direction, and the multiple storage components are sequentially disposed on the package conveying device along the first direction;
wherein the multiple storage components are arranged at different intervals along the first direction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a first abnormal package window and a first abnormal package channel, wherein:
the first abnormal package window is disposed on the surface of the cabinet body, and a forward projection of the first abnormal package window is located within a scope of the first abnormal package channel;
the first abnormal package channel extends from the receiving end toward a bottom of the cabinet body, and an abnormal package detected by the inspection device is moved to a region of the first abnormal package window through the first abnormal package channel.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a first abnormal package window and a first abnormal package channel, wherein:
the first abnormal package window is disposed on the surface of the cabinet body, and a forward projection of the first abnormal package window is located within a scope of the first abnormal package channel;
the first abnormal package channel extends from the receiving end toward a bottom of the cabinet body, and an abnormal package detected by the inspection device is moved to a region of the first abnormal package window through the first abnormal package channel.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a first abnormal package window and a first abnormal package channel, wherein:
the first abnormal package window is disposed on the surface of the cabinet body, and a forward projection of the first abnormal package window is located within a scope of the first abnormal package channel;
the first abnormal package channel extends from the receiving end toward a bottom of the cabinet body, and an abnormal package detected by the inspection device is moved to a region of the first abnormal package window through the first abnormal package channel.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a package conveying device comprises a lifting device, the lifting device is disposed between the inspection device and the storage components, the lifting device is configured to reciprocate in a first direction, and the multiple storage components are sequentially disposed on the package conveying device along the first direction;
wherein the surface of the cabinet body is further disposed with a second abnormal package window, and the lifting device is configured to convey an abnormal package to the second abnormal package window.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one temporary storage unit, and the temporary storage unit comprises multiple storage compartments for storing items.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cabinet body is further disposed with any one or combination of multiple package compartments, a lighting indication unit, a video monitor unit, a display unit, a lightning arrester, a signal antenna component, a packaging material storage unit, and a canopy.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving a sending signal;
outputting a feedback information label according to the sending signal, and controlling a sending window to open;
receiving a closing signal of the sending window;
scanning a package affixed with the feedback information label with a ray component to generate an image;
obtaining the scanned image based on the closing signal; and
determining based on the scanned image that the package passes security inspection and sending package information corresponding to the feedback information label;
wherein the determining includes:
sending the scanned image to a remote judgment terminal;
receiving confirmation from the judgment terminal that the package has passed security inspection; and
accepting the package;

wherein the security inspection is performed by an artificial intelligence locally and at the judgment terminal;
wherein the security inspection is repeated if the judgments of the artificial intelligence and at the judgment terminal are inconsistent.

14. The method according to cla

Assignees

• Nuctech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xue Xin
• Yang Zhongrong
• Gao Qiwang
• Tang Bo

Classifications

• B65G1/12 Primary

  with {separate} article supports or holders movable in a closed circuit to facilitate insertion or removal of articles {the articles being books, documents, forms or the like} · CPC title

• B65G1/06

  with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level (B65G1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G15/00

  Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration (having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06) · CPC title

• G01G19/005

  with electric or electronic computing means · CPC title

• G06K1/121

  by printing code marks (applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26) · CPC title