Systems and methods for item delivery to a smart item receptacle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12008508-B2
Application number	US-202016736234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A receptacle device which detects when mail has been delivered to the receptacle using a pressure sensor, IR beam, and/or a magnetic sensor. The receptacle device is connected to a wireless or wired network and is configured to communicate with a smart home system at the delivery point. The receptacle detects mail delivery and communicates this information via a network bridge to the smart home device of the recipient. The network bridge also gathers information from an informed delivery system which includes information regarding and images of mailpieces being delivered for a given day. The network bridge sends images of mailpieces which were delivered and additional mailpiece information to the recipient on the smart home system. For parcel, the network bridge can receive information regarding parcels to be delivered and can provide delivery estimates and visual tracking on a map.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of delivering items comprising:
receiving, in one or more processors, from item processing equipment, scan information for an item intended for delivery to a delivery point;
determining, via the one or more processors, whether the item is associated with notification preferences;
querying via the one or more processors, an item database for item information associated with the item based on the notification preferences;
determining that a delivery device disposed within a receptacle at the delivery point has been activated, the delivery device comprising a shell housing one or more sensors and a wireless communication device;
determining that a first item has been deposited in the receptacle based on the activation of the delivery device;
sending, to a network bridge component, via the wireless communication device of the delivery device, activation information based on determining the delivery device has been activated, wherein the network bridge component is located remote from the receptacle and is associated with one or more recipients and the receptacle;
determining that a second item has been deposited within the receptacle via the pressure sensor without detecting the removal of the first item via the pressure sensor;
determining an elapsed time between determining the first item has been deposited and determining the second item has been deposited;
if the elapsed time exceeds a threshold time, sending, to item processing equipment an instruction to reroute an additional item to be delivered to the delivery point;
sending, by the one or more processors in communication with and remote from the network bridge component, a notification regarding rerouting the additional item;
in response to the elapsed time exceeding the threshold time, generating, in the one or more processors, an item hold notification;
sending the item hold notification to the network bridge component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item processing equipment comprises an item sortation machine, and wherein receiving scan information for the first item intended for delivery comprises receiving scan information from a scan of the first item on the item sortation machine of a distribution network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item processing equipment comprises a mobile delivery device of a carrier, and wherein receiving scan information for the item intended for delivery comprises receiving scan information from a scan of the item using the mobile delivery device at the delivery point.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the delivery device has been activated comprises detecting, via one or more sensors of the delivery device, the first item in the receptacle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery device is removably disposed within the receptacle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the delivery device has been activated further comprises sensing, via one or more pressure sensors of the delivery device, the first item within the receptacle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more sensors is a pressure sensor.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising detecting whether a door of the receptacle is open via a door sensor disposed on the door.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the delivery device is determined not to have been activated, the one or more processors do not generate the item hold notification.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein querying the item database for item information associated with the first item comprises identifying tracking information for the item.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network bridge component is further in communication with a home network of a recipient of the item.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending the item hold notification from the network bride component to the home network of the recipient of the item.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item hold notification comprises an image of the additional item to be delivered, and wherein sending the item hold notification comprises sending the image of the additional item to be delivered to the network bridge component.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising, communicating, from the network bridge component, the item hold notification to a smart home device in the home of the recipient.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scan information includes a recipient name to whom the first item is intended to be delivered.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the item hold notification includes the name of the recipient to whom the first item is intended to be delivered.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shell of the delivery device comprises a top surface configured to detect the presence of an item on the top surface thereof.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Karpenko Christopher James
• Ackerman William G
• Heinrich Dominik
• Braun-Rubino Christiane
• Jones Anthony
• Karlsson Daniel
• Diatlo Jordan
• Bersak Daniel

Classifications

• G06F16/953

  Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines · CPC title

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L12/2832

  Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks (single bridge functionality H04L12/4625) · CPC title

• G05B2219/25257

  Microcontroller · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833 Primary

  Tracking · CPC title