Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYS1EM FOR PARCEL TRANSPORT AND TRACKING
OPERATED RESPONSIVE TO DATA BEARING RECORDS
1ECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a depository apparatus and system that operates to
control and record the receipt
and removal of deposit items in response to data bearing records. Exemplary
arrangements relate to systems that
facilitate the pickup and delivery of items.
BACKGROUND
Depositories that operate to accept deposit items from users have been
implemented in a number of
different business environments. Commonly depositories are implemented for
receiving items that are to be
provided to an owner of the depository. For example, depositories have been
implemented to receive financial
deposits, utility bill payments or other items of value which are to be
provided only to the bank, utility company or
other entity that operates the depository. Generally the depositories are
implemented so that once an item has been
deposited therein by the user, only an authorized representative of the
depository operator is enabled to access the
deposited items and remove them from the depository for further processing.
Various endeavors have been made to improve depositories and the processes
associated with the receipt
and removal of deposit items. However, depositories and depository systems may
benefit from improvements.
SUMMARY
The exemplary arrangements described herein relate to depositories (which are
alternatively referred to
herein as repositories) and associated systems that operate to accept and make
available deposit items such as
parcels to authorized users responsive at least in part to data read from data
bearing records. Each exemplary
depository includes a body that bounds an interior area which is configured to
hold deposit items. The exemplary
interior area includes one or more compartments each of which is accessible
through a respective opening. Access
through the opening to each compartment interior area is controlled by a
respective door that is mounted in
connection with the body and is movable between open and closed positions. An
electronic lock is associated with
each door. The lock is selectively changeable between locked and unlocked
conditions. In the locked condition the
lock is operative to hold the door in the closed position preventing access to
the compartment.
The exemplary depository is in operative connection with at least one sensor
comprising a reading device.
The reading device is configured to read indicia on items such as parcels that
are positionable within the interior
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area. The exemplary embodiment further includes at least one input device. The
at least one input device is usable
to input data which enables authorized users to access the interior area of
the depository.
In the exemplary arrangement the depository includes control circuitry. The
control circuitry is in
operative connection with the at least one reading device, the at least one
input device, each of the locks and at least
one wireless communication device. Responsive to the receipt of user
identifying information from data bearing
records through the at least one input device, the control circuitry is
operative to cause an access determination to be
made that the received user identifying information corresponds to stored data
associated with an authorized user
that is authorized to access the interior area of the depository. Responsive
at least in part to the determination that
the data bearing record data corresponds to an authorized user, a lock
associated with at least one compartment is
changed from the locked condition to the unlocked condition such that the
authorized user can open the door and
access the compartment interior area.
The exemplary control circuitry is further operative to receive from the at
least one reading device item
indicia from a deposit item that is either being placed in or removed from the
interior area. The exemplary control
circuitry is further operative responsive to the at least one reading device
to determine an action status indicative of
whether the deposit item is removed from or placed into the interior area. An
item determination is made through
operation of the control circuitry concerning whether the item indicia that is
read from the deposit item corresponds
to stored data associated with a deposit item to be placed into or removed
from the interior area of the depository by
the authorized user.
Once the deposit item has been placed in or removed from the interior area of
the depository, the door is
closed and the control circuitry is operative to return the lock to the locked
condition. A system in operative
connection with the exemplary control circuitry is operative to track the
status of the deposit item. This may include
for example, tracking transport of the deposit item to another depository into
which the item can be deposited by the
authorized user who removed it from the first depository, so that the item may
then undergo further processing
activity. Alternatively, the system may enable a further authorized user to
access and remove a deposit item that had
been previously placed in the depository, and track the receipt of the deposit
item by an authorized user that is the
authorized recipient of the item. Depositories may include one or a plurality
of interior areas the access to each of
which is selectively controlled by a respective door and a respective lock.
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Exemplary embodiments of the control circuitry associated with the depository
enable determining the
available space in the interior area. This enables evaluating whether the
depository or a compartment therein has
space available to accept a further deposit item prior to a user who is
seeking to deposit an item being directed to the
depository. Other exemplary arrangements include one or more indicators which
operate responsive to the control
circuitry and the at least one reading device, to provide indications to users
that they have placed or removed proper
deposit items from the interior area. Other exemplary arrangements include the
ability for the depository to provide
audit information that includes identifying indicia associated with deposit
items currently positioned in the interior
area, as well as data regarding items previously placed in or removed from the
depository. Exemplary arrangements
may also capture and store images of users and deposit items to further
provide records of activities conducted at the
depository. Further exemplary arrangements provide information to item
carriers that transport items between
depositories and that pickup and deliver deposit items at customer locations.
Further exemplary arrangements
provide for the efficient transport of deposit items together in bundles
between the depositories.
Numerous other features and arrangements may be used in exemplary systems to
provide reliable, cost-
effective deposit and item tracking capabilities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a depository of an exemplary embodiment with
access to the interior area
thereof closed, and a portable wireless device which may be used in
conjunction with operation of the depository.
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the interior area of the
depository accessible from outside the
depository.
Figure 3 is a schematic view of exemplary control circuitry used in connection
with the depository.
Figure 4 is a schematic view of a network in which the exemplary depository
may be operative.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a portable wireless device that is usable by an
authorized user of the depository in
connection with obtaining access thereto for placing items into or removing
items from the interior area of the
depository.
Figure 6 is a schematic view of the circuitry associated with the device of
Figure 5 and an associated
system for producing data bearing records that can be associated with deposit
items.
Figure 7 is a plan view of the portable wireless device that may be used by an
authorized user to access the
interior area of a depository for purposes of taking deposit items therein for
transport.
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Figure 8 is a schematic view of circuitry associated with the device of Figure
7, including the capabilities
for tracking the device and deposit items associated with the user thereof
Figure 9 is a schematic view of types of data bearing records included in an
exemplary system related to
authorized users who transport deposit items between depositories.
Figure 10 is a schematic view listing types of data bearing records included
in an exemplary system
associated with depositories related to authorized users who place deposit
items in depositories for subsequent
transport and/or who remove items from depositories for purposes of receiving
such items.
Figure 11 is a schematic view listing types of data bearing records included
in an exemplary system which
relate to entities that are the owners of the exemplary depositories.
Figures 12 through 27 are a schematic representation of logic flow carried out
by the control circuitry of the
exemplary depository, associated central system circuitry and devices operated
by authorized users who place
deposit items into and/or remove deposit items from the depositories.
Figures 28 through 30 are a schematic representation logic flow carried out by
the control circuitry of an
exemplary depository, associated central system circuitry and devices operated
by authorized users in connection
with removing a deposit item from a depository.
Figures 31 through 34 are a schematic representation of logic flow carried out
by the control circuitry of the
exemplary depository, associated central system circuitry and devices operated
by authorized users in connection
with delivery and payment associated with a deposit item placed in the
depository.
Figure 35 is a block schematic overview depicting the modules in association
with the controller and
sensor/actuator array.
Figure 36 is a perspective view of a repository embodiment according to
aspects of exemplary systems.
Figure 37 is an exploded perspective view of the repository depicted in Figure
36.
Figure 38 is a perspective view of the repository shown in Figure 36, with a
parcel delivery chute door in a
partially opened position.
Figure 39 is a perspective view of the repository shown in Figure 36, with a
parcel delivery chute door in a
fully opened position.
Figure 40 is a block diagram representation of a controller board according to
an exemplary arrangement.
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Figure 41 is a diagrammatic representation of a controller board
processor/memory and peripherals
interface.
Figure 42 is a block diagram representation of control, data, and address
messaging between a processor, a
peripherals interface and peripheral I/O devices.
Figure 43 is a block diagram of a controller board according to an exemplary
arrangement, showing various
peripherals, interface bus examples, power supply and a number of examples of
peripherals.
Figure 44 is a detailed layout of an exemplary embodiment showing a controller
board with connections to
various peripherals, a connection to a delivery lock box and its associated
peripherals.
Figures 45 through 48 are views of an alternative item repository including a
plurality of selectively
accessible interior areas for housing delivery items.
Figure 49 is a schematic view of a system for the delivery of delivery items.
Figure 50 is a schematic view of system circuitry associated with a delivery
item system.
Figure 51 is a schematic view showing a plurality of geographic catchment
areas and associated parcel
repositories.
Figures 52 through 59 are a schematic representation of logic flow carried out
by exemplary central system
circuitry in determining the bundling of parcels with other parcels for
transport and the path for transport of such
bundles.
Figure 60 is a schematic representation of the data bearing records associated
with exemplary parcel
bundles.
Figures 61 through 68 are schematic representations of calculations carried
out by the central system
circuitry in making a bundling determination for an incoming parcel to a
receiving repository.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1, there is shown
therein an exemplary depository
generally indicated 10. A depository is alternatively referred to herein as a
repository. The exemplary depository
shown includes a body 12 which bounds an interior area 14 (see Figure 2). The
interior area 14 is accessible from
outside the body 12 through an opening 16. A door 18 is movably mounted in
operative connection with the body
through hinged connections. The door 18 is sized for closing the opening 16
when the door is in a closed position as
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shown in Figure 1. The door 18 is movable to an open position shown in Figure
2 in which at least a portion of the
door is disposed from the opening 16 and the interior area 14 is accessible
from outside the body 12.
The exemplary depository 10 further includes at least one input device 20. In
the exemplary embodiment
the at least one input device includes a manually accessible input device that
is operatively accessible when the door
is in the closed position. In some exemplary embodiments the at least one
input device 20 includes a keypad
through which codes can be manually input. Further in exemplary arrangements
the at least one input device
includes a radio frequency (RF) input device such as a wireless transceiver
that is operative to communicate wireless
signals with a portable wireless device 22. In some exemplary arrangements the
RF input device may include a
wireless communication device that is operative to communicate signals via a
Bluetooth, NFC, cellular or other
wireless communication method.
In other exemplary embodiments input devices may include other types of
readers or devices that are
operative to receive or read indicia. Exemplary input devices may include
without limitation, card readers, token
readers, barcode readers, infrared readers or other types of devices that may
receive inputs that are usable to
determine whether access to the depository should be provided. Of course it
should be understood that multiple
different types of input devices may be used in operative connection with a
single depository depending on the
access requirements thereto.
The exemplary depository further includes at least one electrically actuated
lock 24. In the exemplary
embodiment the lock is changeable between a locked condition in which the door
18 is held in a closed position, and
an unlocked condition in which the door is enabled to be moved from the closed
position to the open position. The
exemplary depository is in operative connection with at least one sensor which
comprises a reading device 26. In
the exemplary embodiment the at least one reading device may include one or a
plurality of image capture devices
including at least one camera. In other arrangements the reader may comprise a
portable wireless device. The at
least one reading device of the exemplary arrangement is usable to read
machine readable indicia 28 that is included
on deposit items 30. In exemplary arrangements the reading devices 26 are
operative to read indicia such as bar
codes (including without limitation two-dimensional bar codes and QR codes)
that are included on deposit items.
Further in exemplary arrangements the at least one reading device is operative
to capture information usable to make
a status determination that a deposit item is removed from or placed into the
interior area of the depository. It
should be understood however that although in the exemplary embodiment the
sensors comprising reading devices
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operate to read visible indicia and capture images, in other arrangements
other types of reading devices that read
different types of signals or indicia may be utilized. This may include for
example, card readers, fingerprint readers
or other types of biometric readers including cameras or microphones, LIDAR
image capture devices and readers
that are capable of communicating using wireless signals such as the wireless
input devices previously discussed.
The exemplary depository 10 further includes at least one indicator 32. As
later discussed, the exemplary
at least one indicator may include an output device operative to provide an
indication as to whether a deposit item
that is being placed in or removed from the interior area of the depository is
a correct item to be removed by the
particular user who has accessed the depository. In other exemplary
arrangements, the at least one indicator may
include an output device in operative connection with the depository, such as
an output device of a user's portable
.. wireless device. The exemplary depository further includes at least one
sensor that comprises a weight sensor 43.
The at least one weight sensor is usable to determine the weight of one or
more items that are within an interior area
of the depository. The exemplary depository further includes a wireless
communication device 34. The wireless
communication device which is alternatively referred to herein as a wireless
communication portal or a wireless
communication interface is operative to enable the control circuitry
associated with the depository to communicate
with one or more local or remote systems or devices as later discussed. In
some arrangements, the wireless
communications device may include a wireless input device 20. Exemplary
depository 10 further includes solar
panels 36. The exemplary solar panels 36 are in supported connection with the
door 18 and are suitable for
providing electrical power to the depository from exposure of the solar panels
to sunlight. In the exemplary
arrangement a manually engageable handle 38 is in operative connection with
the door 18 to facilitate the manual
opening and closing thereof by authorized users. Of course it should be
understood that these depository devices
and configurations are exemplary and in other embodiments other configurations
may be used.
As shown schematically in Figure 3 the exemplary depository is in operative
correction with control
circuitry 40. The exemplary control circuitry includes one or more circuits
which are operative to communicate
electrical signals and control the operation of the devices of the depository.
The control circuitry may be located
proximate to the depository or may have some portions remotely located
therefrom. In the exemplary arrangement
the control circuitry 40 includes at least one circuit including at least one
processor schematically indicated 42 and at
least one data store schematically indicated at 44. In exemplary arrangements
the processor may include a processor
suitable for carrying out circuit executable instmctions that are stored in
the one or more associated data stores. The
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processor includes or is in operative connection with a non-volatile storage
medium including instructions that
include a basic input/output system (BIOS). For example, the processor may
correspond to one or more of a
combination of a CPU, FPGA, ASIC or any other integrated circuit or other type
of circuit that is capable of
processing data and instructions. The one or more data stores may correspond
to one or more of volatile or non-
volatile memories such as random access memory, flash memory, magnetic memory,
optical memory, solid state
memory or other devices that are operative to store computer executable
instructions and data. Processor executable
instructions may include instructions in any of a plurality of programming
languages and formats including, without
limitation, routines, subroutines, programs, scripts, threads of execution,
objects, methodologies and functions which
carry out the actions such as those described herein. Structures for
processors may include, correspond to and utilize
the principles described in the textbook entitled Microprocessor Architecture,
Programming and Applications with
the 8085 by Ramesh S. Gaonker (Penram International Publishing 2013), which is
incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety. Exemplary arrangements may include processors made by Intel
Corporation, Advanced Micro
Devices or other suitable types of processors. Of course it should be
understood that these processors are exemplary
of many types of processors that may be used.
The exemplary data stores used in connection with exemplary embodiments may
include one or more of
several types of mediums suitable for holding circuit executable instructions
and data. Such instructions and data
may be non-transitory. These may include for example, magnetic media, optical
media, solid-state media or other
types of media such as RAM, ROM, PROM, flash memory, computer hard drives or
any other form of media
suitable for holding data and circuit executable instructions. Exemplary
control circuitry may include other
components such as hardware and/or software interfaces for communication with
devices within the depository or
for communication with external devices and systems. The exemplary control
circuitry 40 further includes a clock
46. The clock is operative to provide time functions in connection with
operation of the depository and associated
systems as later discussed.
As represented in Figure 3 the control circuitry 40 is in operative connection
with the at least one input
device 20, the lock 24 and the at least one sensor including the at least one
reading device 26. The control circuitry
40 is further in operative connection with the at least one indicator 32, the
at least one weight sensor 43 and the at
least one wireless communication device 34. In the exemplary arrangement the
devices of the depository and the
control circuitry are powered by a battery 48. The battery 48 is in operative
connection with the solar panels 36.
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The control circuitry is operative to control the delivery of power to the
battery such that the battery maintains a
suitable power level for operating the depository during both light and
darkness. However other embodiments may
include other power sources, including the ability to connect to a suitable
available supply of household current or
other power for purposes of operating the depository.
While the exemplary depository includes a single interior area for holding
deposit items, other depositories
may have other configurations. Such other configurations may include a
plurality of interior areas or compartments,
each of which are accessible via a respective opening, each of which openings
has an associated closable door,
drawer or other closure member, each of which is referred to herein as a door
for brevity. Exemplary arrangements
of depositories including a plurality of interior areas are discussed
hereafter in this detailed description.
Figure 4 shows schematically an exemplary network 50 in which depository 10
may be operated. It should
be understood that this exemplary network arrangement is shown schematically
and in exemplary arrangements the
network may include a plurality of interconnected networks.
In the exemplary arrangement a plurality of depositories 10, 52, 54, 56 and 58
are in operative connection
with the network. In some exemplary arrangements all these depositories may be
similar to depository 10
previously discussed. The control circuitry associated with each of the
depositories is operative to communicate in
the network through the respective wireless communication device associated
with the depository which may be
alternatively referred to herein as a wireless transceiver. Of course it
should be understood that in other
arrangements the depositories may be in operative connection with one or more
networks via other wired or wireless
communication methods. Further it should be understood that exemplary
embodiments may include a much larger
number of depositories than is represented in Figure 4.
The exemplary network 50 is in operative connection with central system
circuitry 60. The exemplary
central circuitry includes one or more processors and data stores of the types
previously discussed. In some
arrangements the central system circuitry 60 which is alternatively referred
to herein as central or control circuitry,
may include one or more servers that are in operative connection with
associated data stores 62, and that perform the
functions hereinafter described. The exemplary central system circuitry
includes or is in operative connection with a
clock schematically indicated 61. Exemplary arrangements may include central
system circuitry located at a single
location, or central system circuitry in a distributed arrangement of control
circuitry which operates in a cloud
environment, virtual server environment or other suitable environment for
performing the functions described
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herein. Numerous different types of central system circuitry arrangements may
be utilized in connection with
exemplary embodiments.
The exemplary network further includes a plurality of portable wireless
devices that are operated by users
who wish to send deposit items to others or to receive deposit items from
others through the use of the depositories
and associated system. Devices 64, 66 and 68 in Figure 4 are representative of
devices associated with individuals
who send and/or receive deposit items.
In exemplary arrangements the devices may comprise portable wireless devices
associated with users who
are registered users of the system. In some exemplary arrangements the
registered users may have stored in at least
one data store associated with the central system circuitry, user identifying
data such as an ID token that uniquely
identifies the registered user, contact data associated with a device of the
registered user such as a communication
address such as a phone number or network address associated with a user's
portable wireless device, funds source
data that corresponds to a source of funds such as a credit or debit card
account or similar monetary account which
in exemplary arrangements may be credited or debited through operation of the
system, as well as other associated
data. Of course it should be understood that this data that is associated with
registered system users is exemplary
and in other arrangements other types of registered user information may be
utilized.
Figures 5 and 6 show an exemplary portable wireless device 64 that is used by
such users in the exemplary
network. Devices 66 and 68 may be similar to device 64. Device 64 in some
exemplary arrangements may include
a portable smart phone, a tablet or other portable wireless device which
includes user input devices and user output
devices such as an associated touchscreen 70. The exemplary device 64 may
include other input devices such as a
camera 72, as well as an audio input device such as a microphone 74 and an
audio output device such as a speaker
76. A biometric reader such as the camera, the microphone or other reader such
as a fingerprint reader may also be
included. The exemplary device 64 further includes at least one wireless
communication device 78. The at least one
wireless communication device may include a device suitable for Wi-Fi or
cellular communications. The at least
one wireless communication device 78 may also include a local RF communication
device for providing Bluetooth
or NFC communication. Of course these devices are exemplary.
The exemplary device further includes control circuitry 80. The control
circuitry is similar to that
previously discussed and may include at least one processor 82 and at least
one data store like those previously
described. The exemplary control circuitry is in operative connection with the
component devices of the device 64
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as shown in Figure 6. In addition to communicating in the network 50, the
exemplary device 64 is also enabled to
communicate with other devices in other networks such as network 86. Network
86 may include a printer 88 or
other device that is operative to produce data bearing records 90. Such data
bearing records may include labels
bearing parcel identifying indicia or other data suitable for use in
connection with the exemplary embodiments later
discussed.
The exemplary network 50 is also in communication with the plurality of
portable wireless devices
associated with individuals who are item carriers that transport deposit items
between depositories. Item carriers
may be alternatively referred to herein as item handlers. These portable
wireless devices schematically indicated 92,
94, 96, 98 and 100 may be used by authorized and/or registered system users to
access depositories for purposes of
.. placing deposit items therein or removing deposit items therefrom. Deposit
items are alternatively referred to herein
as delivery items or parcels.
As represented in Figures 7 and 8 the exemplary portable wireless devices such
as device 92, that is
operated as a carrier contact device (alternatively referred to as an item
handler device) by an individual user who is
an item carrier that transports deposit items, may include mobile phone
devices including an input output device
such as a touchscreen 102. Devices 94, 96, 98 and 100 may be similar to device
92. Exemplary device 92 may
further include a camera 104, as well as a microphone 106 and a speaker 108.
It may also include other types of
biometric readers and other devices. The exemplary device 92 further includes
at least one wireless communication
device 110. The at least one wireless communication device 110 may include a
Wi-Fi interface, cellular phone
interface, Bluetooth, NFC or other wireless interface of the types previously
discussed. Further in the exemplary
arrangement device 92 includes a wireless communication interface suitable for
providing tracking of the device via
a global positioning system (GPS). The GPS capability enables tracking the
device as well as the item carrier user
and deposit items associated therewith in a manner that is later discussed.
Alternatively, cellular tracking systems or
other tracking systems may be used. The exemplary device further includes
control circuitry 112. The control
circuitry 112 includes at least one processor and at least one data store of
the types previously described. The
control circuitry 112 enables operation of the device 92 in the manner later
discussed.
The exemplary network 50 may also be in operative connection with portable
wireless devices which are
operated by entities that are owners of respective depositories or other
entities having responsibility for depositories,
which are also referred to as owners herein. Such owners are registered system
users in the exemplary arrangement.
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These portable wireless devices schematically represented 114, 116 in Figure 4
may be similar in exemplary
embodiments to wireless device 64 previously discussed. However such devices
may further include circuit
executable instructions that additionally provide capabilities for the owner
of the depository to receive payments
from the operator of the system for the use of their depositories in
connection with the storage and transport of
.. deposit items. In exemplary arrangements such payments are made for the
receipt, storage or delivery of deposit
items that are placed into the depository by third parties for purposes of
having the deposit items transported to an
entity other than the entity associated with the particular depository into
which the item is deposited or received into
the repository for purposes of pickup by another delivery item recipient.
It should be understood that the network configuration 50 and the devices in
operative connection therewith
are exemplary. Numerous other types of devices, network configurations and
arrangements may be utilized in
connection with exemplary embodiments. Further while the exemplary devices
operated by users of the system
have been generally described as portable wireless devices, it should be
understood that other types of stationary or
portable computer devices may be operated in connection with the system to
carry out the functions described
herein.
In exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry 60 is operative to
include in at least one or more
associated data stores 62, data records related to devices that are utilized
in connection with the exemplary system.
For example in exemplary arrangements the data stores include identifying data
regarding each depository and its
respective location. Data stores may include data regarding registered system
users of the types previously
discussed. The stored data regarding depositories in exemplary embodiments
also includes data regarding the entity
that is the owner of the depository, and restrictions that the entity who is
the owner of the depository may have
placed on the use thereof For example in some arrangements the owner of the
depository may restrict use solely to
receiving therein or having removed therefrom deposit items that are received
or sent by the owner of the
depository. Other depository owners may establish rules which allow other
entities to provide deposit items into the
depository for transport elsewhere, or to receive items in the depository that
can be taken from the depository by the
authorized recipient entities.
Other exemplary rules that may be established in connection with depositories
may include only having the
depository available to be accessed by certain transport users, such as users
who have achieved a certain security
level or performance rating. This may include for example transport users for
deposit items who have achieved
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above a certain rating based on background checks and/or measured metrics for
performance, reliability and
dependability. Other rules associated with depositories may include
restrictions on days of the week and/or times
during particular days when entities other than the depository owner are
permitted to access the depository.
Numerous different restrictions may be set for depositories by depository
owners or the central system circuitry
.. operator for purposes of operating the depository in connection with the
system.
In addition stored data regarding depositories may include information related
to security features or other
features associated with the depository. For example in order to provide
secure communication between the central
circuitry and each depository, the depository and the central circuitry may
have respective public and private key
pairs and digital certificates that enable secure communication between the
central circuitry and the control circuitry
of the respective depository. This enables the control circuitry of the
depository and the central circuitry to identify
the system originating messages and to be assured of the origin of received
messages. In addition the central
circuitry and the control circuitry of each depository may include respective
programming that enables the sending
of instructions or other messages which enable the operation or performance of
certain functions. For example the
control circuitry of the respective depository may include programming from
the central system that is operative to
cause the locking or unlocking of the respective lock of the depository in
response to the receipt of certain messages
and/or data by the depository from the central system. Further in exemplary
arrangements the central system may be
operative to cause the control circuitry of a respective depository to operate
the plurality of reading devices therein
for purposes of determining the amount of space that is currently available in
the interior area of the depository.
Such functionality may enable the central circuitry to determine the ability
of the particular depository to accept
therein a deposit item having a particular size that may be available for
deposit into the depository.
Further in exemplary embodiments the central circuitry may operate in
accordance with its programming to
maintain data corresponding to the indicia associated with deposit items that
are currently positioned in the interior
area of each depository. Further, in exemplary arrangements the central system
may communicate with a respective
depository so as to cause the control circuitry thereof to deliver to the
central circuitry, data corresponding to
activities that have been conducted at the depository. This may include not
only the indicia usable to identify
deposit items currently therein, but also historical record data related to
deposit items placed into the depository
and/or deposit items removed therefrom, and data associated with the users and
times associated with each
respective activity that has occurred. In exemplary arrangements each
depository may also operate to have its
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control circuitry store images associated with activities that occur at the
depository. This may include images of
each user who places a deposit item into or removes a deposit item from the
interior area of the depository. Such
image data may also include item identifying indicia included on each item
that is placed in or removed from the
depository by the authorized user as well as other data associated with each
event or activity that has occurred.
Instructions communicated from the central circuitry may be operative to cause
the control circuitry of a respective
depository to send image data corresponding to the captured images associated
with the activities that have occurred
at the depository. This may further enable documenting the deposit or removal
of deposit items as well as facilitate
resolving any discrepancies which may occur. Of course these functions and
capabilities, and stored record data of
the central circuitry and each depository is exemplary, and in other
embodiments other approaches may be used.
Further in exemplary embodiments the central system circuitry 60 is operative
to include in the at least one
data store 62 information regarding the devices and authorized and/or
registered users who utilize the depositories
included in the system. For example in an exemplary embodiment the central
circuitry is operative to include the
information shown in Figure 9 for the devices such as devices 92, 94, 96, 98
and 100 that are operated by the
authorized users who access the depositories and transport deposit items. In
the exemplary arrangements each of the
authorized and/or registered users has included in the data store associated
with their portable wireless device,
identifying data that is usable in conjunction with the depositories to
indicate that the user of the device is an
authorized and/or registered user. Such data may include for example, ID token
information which can be utilized
to identify the user as an authorized and/or registered user. Such token
information may include digital information
that can be correlated through operation of the central circuitry with the
identity of the particular individual that is
associated with operation of the particular device. In addition such token
information may include other types of
data which can be used for identification purposes. Such other types of data
may include for example, user
biometric data such as fingerprint data, iris scan data or other data that
comprises record data that is uniquely
associated with the user.
Further in other exemplary arrangements stored data regarding users may
include other record data which
may be utilized in connection with operation of the system. For example in
systems that utilize card data for
purposes of accessing depositories, the record data maintained by the central
circuitry may include the data
corresponding to the respective user's card data and other associated data for
the respective user. This enables the
system to compare the data received through the at least one input device of a
depository, to stored data so as to
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identify the person seeking access to the depository as an authorized user who
is appropriately authorized to have
access thereto. Of course the approaches described in connection with the
authorized users are exemplary, and in
other embodiments other approaches may be used.
Further as described in connection with Figure 9, the record data associated
with devices operated by users
who transport items may include information regarding payments to such users.
In the exemplary system the users
who transport items between the depositories are paid for the transport
services. The payment for services may be
based on certain information regarding the particular depository item that is
transported such as, the size of the item,
the weight of the item, the distance and timing associated with such transport
and other factors. The exemplary data
that is stored by the central circuitry further includes data regarding
payments that are made to the individuals who
perform the transport services. Such payment data may also include data such
as account data associated with a
funds source of the user which enables the making of the payments to the user
for the services provided.
Alternatively such funds source data may be associated with an account that
can be credited for amounts payable or
refundable. This may include for example, information regarding a PayPal
account, a Venmo account, a bank
account, an electronic stored value account or other accounts into which
appropriate payments to such users may be
made.
Further in the exemplary arrangement the central circuitry is operative to
include data regarding the
activities that are performed by each respective user who is an item carrier
that transports deposit items in
connection with the system. Such data may include contact data for the mobile
wireless carrier contact device of the
item carrier such as a communication address of the carrier contact device.
Such data may include metrics which
include information on the timeliness and reliability of the particular
individual. For example as later discussed, in
some arrangements transport activities associated with particular deposit
items are assigned by the system to the
particular authorized user, and the activity may be reserved to the user for a
particular time. In cases where the
particular user that is initially assigned to the activity does not perform
the activity within the allotted time, the
system is operative to reassign the activity to another item carrier user.
Such events where an activity is not
performed by a user is considered significant to the user's performance.
Likewise in situations where an authorized
user has taken longer than would normally be expected to accomplish the
transport of the deposit item to a
depository destination, such factors would also be significant in terms of the
user's associated metrics. Losses of
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
items and cases of misdirected deposit items are also significant metrics.
These and other metrics are recorded
through operation of the central system circuitry with regard to each
authorized item carrier transport user.
Further the exemplary central system circuitry is operative to apply ratings
to each authorized user based on
the metrics that are associated with the user's performance. Such user ratings
may be utilized in connection with
screening authorized users for purposes of accessing certain depositories
and/or handling certain types or values of
deposit items. Such ratings may also be utilized in connection with
determining the rate that is paid to the user for
the transport activities that are performed. Of course these categories that
are represented in Figure 9 are exemplary
and in other embodiments other or additional information regarding such users
may be stored and evaluated through
operation of the central circuitry.
Figure 10 shows schematically exemplary records and data items that may be
associated with shipper and
recipient users and their associated devices that place items into
depositories for purposes of requesting deliveries to
other depositories and/or that receive items from depositories. Such shipper
and recipient users may alternatively be
referred to herein as item handlers and their respective portable wireless
devices referred to as handler contact
devices. In the exemplary network arrangement this data would be associated
with devices 64, 66 and 68 of
.. registered users. As is the case in connection with individuals and devices
that provide transport services, the data
associated with these devices include ID tokens or other identifying record
information that can be utilized to
reliably identify that the user or device is one that is authorized to access
the depository. As the individuals that
provide the functions of providing deposit items to be transported to the
depositories will generally be required to
pay for the transport services, the central circuitry includes data for such
users may include a fund source such as
account data for assessing charges associated with payments for shipments.
This may include credit card accounts,
bank accounts, PayPal accounts or other suitable accounts from which payments
may be made.
Further in some exemplary systems individuals in this category may choose to
travel an extended distance
to a depository in order to receive a deposit item that would otherwise be
handled by an item carrier user that is paid
to transport the item to a destination depository substantially closer to the
recipient or to a designated delivery
address that is not a depository. In such an exemplary system if the recipient
chooses to conduct a substantial
portion of the transport by taking the item from a depository that is remotely
located from the destination that the
person arranging for shipment has paid to have the item delivered to, then the
central circuitry is operative to
compensate the recipient for the transport activity associated with picking up
the item from the remote destination.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
As such the exemplary central circuitry includes data regarding account
information which can be credited for
pickup amounts to which the authorized user receiving an item may be entitled.
This account information may
include account information for accounts which can be credited with value to
the recipient for transport and pick up
of deposit items. Of course it should be understood that the data types shown
for this category of authorized user
and their associated devices in Figure 10 is merely exemplary of some items of
information which may be included
in records of the central circuitry.
Figure 11 shows schematically exemplary record data that is associated with
owners of depositories and
their associated devices. The data shown in Figure 11 would generally be
associated with the devices 114, 116 that
were previously discussed in connection with the exemplary network 50. Similar
to other devices, the devices
associated with depository owners would include the identifying information
which identifies the user as an
authorized or registered shipper or recipient user. In addition in the
exemplary arrangement the records associated
with the depository owner includes data regarding the restrictions on the
depositories such as those previously
discussed. The exemplary central circuitry is operative to associate the
depository owner with the respective
depository that is owned by the depository owner and to cause the restrictions
set by the owner for the depository to
be applicable to the records associated with the depository in the one or more
data stores of the central circuitry.
Further in some exemplary arrangements the depository owners are entities that
engage in sending deposit
items for transport and receiving deposit items. As such the data associated
with the depository owners includes a
funds source such as account information corresponding to accounts which can
be assessed for charges associated
with transport of deposit items to remote depository destinations. Further in
exemplary arrangements the central
circuitry is operative to compensate depository owners for deposit items that
are placed in the depository of the
depository owner by other authorized user individuals for purposes of
transport to other depositories. In the
exemplary arrangement the depository owner is compensated for the use of their
depository by such third parties.
The exemplary system is operative to include in the data associated with the
depository owners, account information
concerning accounts that are credited through operation of the central
circuitry for the use of the depository by other
authorized entities.
Of course the types of record data shown as maintained by the central
circuitry for the different types of
devices and users associated with the system, are exemplary. Additional types
of information will generally be
stored in association with the various types of devices and users to
facilitate operation of the system and to provide
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record-keeping and tracking for the activities that are carried out in
connection therewith. Further as can be
appreciated, the central circuitry is operative to store data associated with
the whereabouts of deposit items that are
moving through the system at all times, and to track the status of
depositories, and individuals who provide transport
for the items, such that the whereabouts of each deposit item throughout the
term of its inclusion in the system can
be determined at all times. In exemplary arrangements the central circuitry is
operative to estimate arrival times for
depository items at destination depositories and makes such data available to
users responsible for sending the items
and recipients. Further historical information on each deposit item is also
maintained for a programmed time. To
assure that any errors or loss situations can be tracked, investigated and
remedied, tracking and image data can be
accessed through the central system circuitry and in some arrangements
obtained from each of the respective
depositories.
A schematic representation of the logic flow that is carried out through
operation of the central system
circuitry, the depositories and the portable wireless devices of entities that
provide, transport and receive deposit
items, is shown in Figures 12 through 27. This exemplary logic flow of each of
the devices involved is exemplary
and is described in connection with an example that is intended to be
representative of the operation of the various
devices. Deposit items are alternatively referred to herein as delivery items
or parcels. Of course numerous other
features and operations may be utilized in connection with exemplary
embodiments.
The example of the logic flow commences with an authorized user of the system
who wishes to have a
deposit item transported to a remote destination operating their respective
portable wireless device such as wireless
device 64. In the exemplary logic flow the entity wishing to have the deposit
item transported may be referred to as
a shipper for purposes of simplicity in connection with this particular
example.
As represented in a step 118 the individual wishing to have a deposit item
transported operates their
associated device such as device 64 to provide inputs which indicate that they
wish to have an item transported. In a
next step 120 the user operates the device to provide inputs which are usable
to identify the user as an authorized
and/or registered user of the system. In a next step 122 the user is operative
to provide inputs to their device which
indicate the payment method that will be utilized to make payment for the
transport of the deposit item. In
exemplary arrangements this may include selection from a menu to indicate the
type of payment or account that the
user wishes to utilize in connection with the deposit item. The user may also
be required to provide information or
respond to certain questions regarding the item. These questions may include
providing information regarding
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whether the item is flammable or otherwise hazardous. The individual may also
be required to indicate whether the
item contains perishable or fragile material. The user may also be required to
provide information regarding the
dimensions of the item, the weight of the item and/or the value of the item.
Of course these queries are merely
exemplary.
In a step 124 the user operates the device to indicate a delivery item
originating address which corresponds
to the origin for the transport of the deposit item. This may include the
user's business address or other address. In
some arrangements the originating address may include a business address
associated with the particular depository
into which the deposit item will eventually be placed for purposes of
initiating the transport activity. In a step 126
the user inputs to the device the address information for the delivery item
destination location which corresponds to
a point or area of delivery of the particular deposit item. This may include
an address associated with a remote
depository that is associated with the entity that will receive the deposit
item. Alternatively in other arrangements
the delivery address may include an address or area associated with an entity
that does not have a dedicated
depository. In such cases the delivery address may include information
regarding an authorized user of the system
that is enabled to access a depository that is located in proximity to them
for purposes of receiving the deposit item
to be transported. In other arrangements the delivery location may be a
commercial or residential address which is
the address of the recipient of the particular parcel.
In the exemplary arrangement the user wishing to arrange for transport of an
item may wish to pay an
incentive fee in order to have the item delivered more promptly or in
accordance with other requirements. In the
exemplary arrangement the programming associated with the user device enables
the user arranging for transport to
apply an incentive for particular delivery parameters or timing that is
associated with the particular deposit item.
This is represented in a step 128. This may be a payment for delivery within a
set time such as within one day, for
example. Of course if the user does not wish to apply an incentive, the
programming associated with the device will
cause the standard rates and/or parameters set through operation of the
central circuitry to apply.
The exemplary programming associated with the user's device may include the
capability to capture
images of the deposit item such that the size of the deposit item can be
assessed. In some exemplary arrangements
the user device may require the user to input dimensions of the deposit item
and/or the weight thereof via a touch
screen or other input device. This is represented in a step 130. Assessing the
size of the deposit item is useful for
purposes of enabling the central system circuitry to determine depositories
where sufficient space is available in the
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interior area for purposes of receiving the deposit item therein at the
present time. This may be done in the manner
previously discussed using the reading devices that are included in the
respective depositories. The size as well as
weight can also be factors in determining the charges for transport of the
deposit item.
In some exemplary arrangements the user may have circuit executable
instmctions on their mobile device
or other computer that guides or prompts a user to provide the necessary
information for shipment. In other
arrangements the central circuitry may provide an online portal which the user
may access to receive the prompts to
input necessary information, and to which the information may be supplied.
In the exemplary arrangement, once the information has been input by the user
to the device, the
information regarding the request to transport the deposit item is submitted
to the central system circuitry as at least
one transport request message represented in a step 132. The central circuitry
is then operative to verify the
identifying information associated with the user that has submitted the
request. This is represented in a step 134.
This may include comparing user identifying data stored in the user device
such as an ID token that is included in
the at least one transport request message, with stored data associated with
authorized users by the central circuitry.
The central circuitry is also operative to verify that the user who has
submitted the request has indicated a suitable
funds source which provides a payment method associated with the central
system in order to make payment for the
transport of the deposit item. The central system circuitry may also analyze
the delivery item size data and/or
weight data included in the at least one transport request message to
determine if the delivery item is suitable for
transport through the system. This is represented in a step 136.
The central circuitry then operates to assign a parcel ID to the particular
deposit item as represented in step
138. The parcel ID is alternatively referred to herein as a delivery item
identifier. The data provided by the user
regarding the originating location and destination location for the transport
of the deposit item is also stored in at
least one data store associated with the central circuitry as represented in
step 140. In some arrangements the central
circuitry is then operative responsive to the originating location information
to resolve an originating depository that
is considered the most suitable for receipt of the deposit item. This is
represented in a step 142. Generally the
originating depository will be the depository located in closest geographical
proximity to the user wishing to have
the deposit item transported. However, in order to assure that space for the
deposit item is available in the nearest
depository, the central circuitry operates as represented at a step 144 to
determine if the delivery item is of a suitable
size and/or weight to be transported and determine based on stored data or
through communication with circuitry of
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
the initially selected depository to verify that sufficient space is available
to accept a deposit item of the size that
was determined at step 130. If such space is not available, the central
circuitry operates to determine an alternative
available originating depository that has the space available to receive the
deposit item therein. The central system
circuitry is operative to evaluate at least one of the size and/or the weight
of the deposit item to determine if it is
.. within at least one size or weight limit. If the deposit item is not
suitable for transit due to size, weight or space
factors the request is flagged to be declined or be processed in a manner that
provides special handling.
As represented in a step 146, once the originating depository for receiving
the deposit item is resolved, the
central circuitry operates to generate a one-time code to be input by the
authorized user for purposes of accessing the
depository. The one-time code is alternatively referred to herein as an item
depositor access code. The central
.. circuitry is operative to correlate stored data corresponding to at least
two of the authorized user identifying data, the
delivery item identifier, and the depository which receives the item from the
user and/or a respective interior area
thereof, in the at least one data store. In a step 148 the central circuitry
is then operative to send the originating
depository location information and the code data to the user's device. In
exemplary arrangements the depository
identifying data for the originating depository may include GPS coordinates,
address data or other information that
can be used to locate the depository.
As represented at step 150 the user's device is operative to receive the data
from the central circuitry. In
situations where the transaction is not accepted due to an invalid funds
source or a parcel size or weight outside a set
limit, the user is notified the transaction is denied, or alternatively the
user is provided with instructions to obtain
special handling. If the transaction may proceed the user may then operate
their device in the manner represented in
.. Figure 6 to produce a data bearing record which includes data
representative of the origin and destination address as
well as indicia corresponding to the delivery item identifier which uniquely
identifies the deposit item. The delivery
item identifier is alternatively referred to herein as a parcel identifier.
This is represented by a step 152. In the
exemplary arrangements the delivery item identifier may be encoded in
identifying indicia that may include a
machine readable bar code, a QR code or other suitable machine readable
indicia which comprises record data
.. which can be read for purposes of identifying the deposit item. As
represented in a step 154 in the exemplary
arrangement the user may operate their device in association with a label
printer to produce a label which is then
applied to the deposit item. In the exemplary arrangement the label that is
applied to the deposit item is externally
visible such that the machine readable indicia thereon that corresponds to the
delivery item identifier can be read
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
through operation of the reading devices such as a reader included in the
depository or a user's portable wireless
device. The label may also include human readable indicia so that the
particular deposit item can be visually
identified by item carrier users or other users who access the depository. Of
course it should be understood that in
other exemplary arrangements other types of indicia may be utilized for
purposes of providing identifying indicia.
Such indicia may include for example, programmable RFID tags, QR codes, a
signature or other manually made
indicia, an image of the deposit item, or other indicia that may be placed in
operative connection with a deposit item
for purposes of enabling the identification of the item through operation of
the system.
As represented in a step 156 the user seeking to have the deposit item
transported may utilize their device
to guide their travel to the GPS location or other location as identified to
the device, so that the user may place the
item into the originating depository. In the exemplary arrangement the user
operates their device to cause data
corresponding to a data bearing record which identifies the user, to the at
least one input device on the depository.
This is represented by a step 158. In the exemplary arrangement the user
device is operative to send user identifying
data such as the user token data to the RF input device included in the
depository. The depository receives the user
identifying data as represented in step 160. The control circuitry of the
exemplary depository is operative to enable
the keypad of the exemplary embodiment to receive a manually input code
therethrough from the user as represented
at step 162. The input code may correspond to the one-time depositor access
code. Alternatively, in some
arrangements the one-time access code may be delivered wirelessly from the
user's device to the RF input device.
Further in some arrangements user identifying data and the one-time code may
be replaced by a single code string or
object. As represented at step 164 the control circuitry of the depository is
operative to wirelessly transmit at least
one message including data corresponding to the received user identifying data
and the one-time code as well as
depository identifying data to the central circuitry. This may be done in a
suitably encrypted manner or using other
suitable security techniques to assure that the data is not compromised.
The central system circuitry is operative to receive the data from the
depository as represented at a step
166. The central circuitry then operates as represented at step 168 to verify
that the received user identifying
information corresponds to the authorized user, and that the one-time code
corresponds to the code provided to the
user in connection with the request to transport the deposit item. In the
exemplary arrangement the central circuitry
is operative to assign to the user an item depositor access code that can be
utilized only on one occasion for purposes
of opening the central system assigned interior area of the depository. This
prevents the authorized user from
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opening other depositories or in some arrangements other interior areas or
compartments of the same depository, or
opening the depository on multiple occasions using the provided code. Of
course it should be understood that this
approach is exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be used.
Responsive to the central circuitry making a determination based on stored
data that the data received by
.. the depository from the user is the appropriate data for the user accessing
the depository in connection with
receiving the deposit item, the central circuitry is operative to send one or
more messages to the depository as
represented in step 170. The messages include instructions and/or data which
are operative to cause the repository
control circuitry of the depository to unlock the lock which holds the
designated depository door in the closed
position. At a step 172 the control circuitry of the depository operates to
verify that the received message data
.. corresponds to an authorized message from the central circuitry to unlock
the lock. This may be done by an analysis
of the received message data including decryption of the instructions and
other data included in the message which
verifies the instructions as appropriately authorized by the central
circuitry.
If the control circuitry of the depository determines that the message data
from the central circuitry is
genuine, the circuitry operates to cause the lock associated with the
appropriate door and compartment to be
changed from the locked condition to the unlocked condition. This is
represented at a step 174. The exemplary
control circuitry then operates to detect the opening of the depository door.
In some arrangements the control
circuitry causes the plurality of reading devices to operate to capture images
including the indicia corresponding to
the delivery item identifier included on the depository item as represented at
step 176. In some arrangements control
circuitry also operates to capture images showing the user as well as the
deposit item as it is being placed into the
.. interior area of the depository. These images are stored in the data store
associated with the control circuitry of the
depository along with time data to indicate when the activity occurred. In
other exemplary arrangements the user
may be instructed to operate their portable wireless device to have a camera
thereon capture an image of the item
identifying indicia on the deposit item, identifying indicia on the
depository, or both. This is represented by a step
178.
Further in exemplary arrangements data from the at least one weight sensor may
be captured to verify
placement of the item in the depository and/or to detect the weight of the
item. The additional weight added to the
depository may be used to verify that the weight indicated for the item by the
shipper is accurate. If the item is
substantially heavier than specified in the at least one transport request
message, the person requesting the shipment
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
may be assessed an additional charge. Sensors such as image capture devices
such as cameras or LIDAR sensors
may be used to capture data that is used to determine the size of the item.
This may be done so that the central
system circuitry can verify that the parcel size is consistent with the parcel
size data included in the at least one
transport request message. Image sensors, sonic sensors or other sensors may
operate to capture other properties
such as color, sound absorption, reflectivity of light or sound waves, or
other types of signals as well as
combinations thereof. Further the weight, size and/or other property (or a
combination of properties) associated
with the item may be used by the central system circuitry as an additional
identifying feature and tracking identifier
for the item. Of course these approaches are exemplary.
In the exemplary arrangement the control circuitry associated with the
depository is operative to send at
least one message including data corresponding to the indicia read, detected
and/or sensed from the deposit item to
the central circuitry as represented at step 180. The central circuitry
receives the data as represented at step 182 and
verifies that the received data and read indicia corresponds to the
identifying information associated with the deposit
item and the authorized user who is authorized to place the deposit item in
the depository. This is represented by
step 184. The central circuitry is then operative to send one or more messages
to the depository indicating that the
deposit item is acceptable into the depository. This is represented by a step
186. It should be understood however
that if the central circuitry determines that received data or the indicia
associated with the deposit item is incorrect
and/or does not correspond with the authorized user who has accessed the
depository, the central circuitry will send
at least one message including data which is indicative of this discrepancy to
the depository.
In the exemplary logic flow as represented at step 188 the wireless
communication portal of the depository
receives the data indicative of whether the deposit item and its receipt into
the depository is acceptable. The control
circuitry of the exemplary depository then operates to provide an indication
if the acceptance of the deposit item is
authorized. This is represented by a step 190. In the exemplary arrangement,
the control circuitry of the depository
is operative to cause operation of the at least one indicator 32 to provide an
indication as to whether the acceptance
of the deposit item is authorized. For example in an exemplary arrangement the
indicator may be operated to
provide a green color light output when the deposit item is acceptable and a
red color light output when the deposit
item is not acceptable. In addition an audio annunciator output or other
indicator output may be output by the
depository to indicate the acceptability or unacceptability of the deposit. In
other exemplary arrangements, an
indication of the acceptability of the deposit item may be sent to the user's
mobile device so as to cause at least one
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
output from an output device thereof. In other exemplary arrangements the door
of the depository may be spring
loaded so that the door at least partially opens responsive to the deposit
item being acceptable. Of course these
outputs are exemplary, and in other arrangements, other types of outputs may
be provided.
Further in exemplary arrangements at least one message indicative of a
determination as to the acceptability
or unacceptability of the deposit item or the associated circumstances may be
sent by the central system circuitry to
the portable device of the authorized user. Such information may be sent in
the form of a text message or other
suitable output to indicate to the user the acceptability or unacceptability
of the deposit item or activity. Such
approaches may be useful in some exemplary systems for purposes of preventing
users from making mistakes in
placing incorrect deposit items into depositories. Such features may be
particularly helpful in situations where an
authorized user may be handling multiple deposit items, some of which may be
intended for placement in a
particular depository while others are not. Of course these approaches are
exemplary and in other embodiments
other approaches may be used.
In some exemplary arrangements the control circuitry associated with the
depository is operative in a step
192 to evaluate the image data captured by the reading devices and/or the
weight sensors to make an action status
determination. The action status determination includes evaluating the image
data and/or weight data for purposes
of determining whether the deposit item has been placed in or removed from the
interior area of the depository. In
alternative arrangements, the user may be prompted to provide at least one
input to their mobile wireless device to
indicate the deposit item has been placed in the interior area. The wireless
device sends at least one message
indicative of the input. In this exemplary logic flow the determination of
action status by the control circuitry is
indicative that the deposit item has been placed in the depository. After the
action status determination that the
deposit item has been received, the control circuitry of the depository senses
for the door of the depository being
closed. This is done through appropriate switches, detectors or the reading
devices in operative connection with the
control circuitry and is represented in a step 194. In some exemplary
arrangements the repository control circuitry
will cause at least one output device of the depository to provide outputs
which instruct the user to close the
depository door in the event that such action is not taken within a calculated
time of the deposit item being received.
In other exemplary arrangements the user's portable wireless device may
receive messages from the central circuitry
that are caused to be sent responsive to messages from the depository in the
event that the user is detected as not
taking appropriate steps towards closure of the door after the deposit item
has been deposited in the interior area.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
Once the depository door is in the closed position, the control circuitry
operates to cause the lock to be
changed to the locked condition as represented in a step 196. The control
circuitry of the depository then operates to
send one or more item received messages to the central circuitry indicating
that the interior area of the depository
has been made accessible responsive at least in part to the item depositor
access code, token data and/or other input
data and the deposit item has been received in the depository as indicated at
step 198. Responsive to receiving the at
least one item received message from the depository and/or from the user's
mobile wireless device, the central
circuitry is operative to update the record data stored in its associated data
store to reflect the status of the deposit
item as being within the particular depository as represented at step 200. The
central circuitry may also operate to
determine the remaining available volume of space in the compartment or
interior area in which the deposit item has
been placed.
The exemplary central circuitry then operates to take the actions necessary to
arrange for the deposit item to
be transported from the originating depository into which it has been
received, to a depository associated with the
destination location for the item. In some circumstances the central circuitry
is enabled to arrange for a single
authorized user of the system to transport the deposit item from the
originating depository into which it is received
to another depository which is a destination depository that corresponds to
the delivery item destination, such as a
final destination address for the deposit item. In other arrangements the
system is operative to arrange for delivery
to a recipient address rather than a depository. However, in many situations
the central circuitry must arrange for
the transport of the deposit item to an intermediate location which
corresponds to a destination depository which is
only part way to the delivery item destination. This occurs because the
individuals available to transport the deposit
item are available only to transport the item to the intermediate destination.
The central circuitry will then later
arrange for a different authorized user to transport the item from the
intermediate destination to the depository at the
final destination depository for the deposit item. Of course it should be
understood while this example indicates that
the deposit item is transported through a destination depository at one
intermediate destination, other exemplary
deposit item transport situations will involve transport through multiple
intermediate destinations. This is
particularly true when the transport of the deposit item is over a long
distance. In some exemplary arrangements the
incentive payments which the system user arranging for the transport can make,
will help to reduce the number of
intermediate depository destinations and result in delivery of the deposit
item to the final destination more quickly.
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As represented at step 202 an authorized system user that is willing to
transport deposit items may operate
their portable wireless device, such as carrier contact device 92, to indicate
their availability to transport deposit
items by initiating operation of an application on the device. Such system
users are alternatively referred to herein
as item carriers or item handlers. In the exemplary arrangement the device
application requires that the user sign
onto the carrier contact device and provide appropriate carrier contact device
data such as a telephone number or
email address and user identifying information which identifies the particular
user to the central circuitry, as
represented at step 204. In exemplary arrangements the item carrier contact
device data and other user identifying
information as well as credentials such as token data for the item carrier
that may be stored in the user device and in
the central circuitry, will have been previously established through a
registration process applicable to authorized
users. In the exemplary arrangement the circuit executable instructions
associated with the user's device 92 also
require that the user provide location information such as through GPS data
associated with the current carrier
contact device location to the central system circuitry through at least one
driver data message. This is represented
at step 206.
In the exemplary system a user may choose to transport deposit items based on
planned travel for other
purposes. This may include for example, the user having a daily commute to a
job that is substantially remote from
where they reside. Alternatively a user may have planned travel for personal
or other purposes to a destination, and
is willing to transport deposit items in the course of their personal travel.
Alternatively a user may be willing to
perform transport services of deposit items to any local location to receive
compensation for the transport services.
As represented in step 208 the user inputs to the carrier contact device their
available delivery location such as, for
example destination information related to their current travel plans, or if
the user is willing to travel to any location
within a set distance range for purposes of making deliveries of deposit
items. In some arrangements the user may
also indicate that they have specialized capabilities such as handling fragile
or perishable items, handling
refrigerated items, handling large and/or heavy items, providing transport for
items in secure compartments and/or
that they are bonded or insured for handling high value or legally controlled
items. As represented at step 210 the
control circuitry associated with the user's portable wireless carrier contact
device is operative to send the data
regarding the available item carrier transport user in at least one driver
data message to the central circuitry for
purposes of determining if the item carrier user will receive transport job
assignments which will result in
compensation being paid to the user.
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
As represented at step 212 in an exemplary arrangement the central circuitry
receives the data from the item
carrier contact device and conducts an analysis of the received data as
represented at step 214. The central circuitry
is also operative to recover the stored data regarding the rating information
associated with the user as represented in
step 216. The central circuitry is then operative to compare the data
associated with the available transport user
received in driver data messages to the data associated with available
transport jobs that need to be conducted. This
is represented at step 218. Of course as can be appreciated, this activity is
carried out by the central circuitry for
each authorized item carrier transport user that indicates availability to
participate in providing transport services for
deposit items at the current time. The central circuitry is enabled to match
available authorized item carriers with
transport jobs in a manner that causes the deposit items to be moved to either
a respective final delivery address, a
final delivery depository destination of the deposit item, or an intermediate
delivery depository location at a
depository that causes the deposit item to move closer to its final delivery
destination.
As represented in step 220 the central circuitry operates to match the
authorized transport item carrier
current location and the associated item carrier available delivery location
data to the originating depository, the
destination depository and the deposit item delivery requirements. The central
circuitry is then operative to
determine the destination depository which is the endpoint destination for the
available item carrier as represented in
step 222. In other arrangements the end point for the delivery may be the
address of the recipient. In this particular
example the endpoint destination for the initial item carrier is an
intermediate destination depository that is not the
final destination for the particular deposit item. The central circuitry is
then operative to calculate the rate
information for the transport user as represented in step 224. In an exemplary
arrangement this calculation reflects
an amount that the item carrier will receive for taking the deposit item from
the current depository in which it is
located, transporting it to the designated intermediate destination
depository, and placing the deposit item in the
intermediate destination depository for subsequent transport towards its final
destination. In some exemplary
arrangements the central circuitry may operate to determine multiple parcels
that can be transported together by the
item carrier as a bundle to a destination.
As represented in step 226 in an exemplary arrangement the central circuitry
operates to send one or more
opportunity messages to the carrier contact device which is the portable
wireless device of the item carrier. The
messages include the originating depository for pickup, parcel route for
transport of the deposit item (or a bundle
comprising multiple items), end point destination depository (or end point
delivery address) and monetary rate to be
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
paid to the item carrier for transport of the deposit item. The messages may
also provide an indication of the size
and weight of the deposit items. The exemplary messages may also include data
to indicate to the item carrier how
far the transport job will require the item carrier to go off their currently
indicated planned travel route to the input
destination at the originating depository and/or at the destination
depository. In operation of the exemplary system
the carrier contact device receives the data regarding the transport
assignment in at least one opportunity message as
represented by a step 226. The control circuitry of the carrier contact device
is then operative responsive to the
received data in the at least one opportunity message to provide one or more
outputs to the item carrier user
indicative of the available transport assignment. The output data is then
available for review by the item carrier user
as represented at step 228. If the item carrier user finds the transport
assignment details to be acceptable, the user
operates the carrier contact device to provide one or more inputs as
represented at step 230 which indicates that the
user accepts the transport assignment. The carrier contact device then
operates in accordance with its programming
to send one or more item transport acceptance messages to the central
circuitry as represented at step 232, indicative
of the user acceptance and willingness to transport the delivery item from the
delivery depository to the destination
depository (or other end point location) in accordance with any other
conditions specified in the at least one
opportunity message.
The central circuitry receives the at least one item transport acceptance
message data from the user's carrier
contact device indicating acceptance of the transport assignment as
represented at step 234. The central circuitry
then operates to reserve the transport assignment for the item carrier as
represented at a step 236. In the exemplary
embodiment the central circuitry operates in accordance with its programming
to reserve the transport assignment
for the particular item carrier user only for a limited period of time. This
helps to assure that the deposit item is
transported in a commercially prompt manner. In the event that the item
carrier to which the transport assignment
has been reserved does not act to obtain the deposit item from the depository
within the time period for which the
transport assignment has been reserved, the central circuitry operates in
accordance with its programming to
reassign the transport assignment to a different designated authorized item
carrier. As can be appreciated such a
reassignment would generally require analysis of available transport carrier
information and may change the route or
other information to which the deposit item is next transported. Of course
these approaches are exemplary and in
other embodiments other approaches to be used.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
Also in an exemplary embodiment a transport item carrier may send transport
acceptance messages to
accept a plurality of opportunity messages corresponding to transport
assignments associated with the item carrier's
planned or available delivery location travel. This may include a plurality of
different deposit items, each of which
may have a respective different pickup originating depository or shipment
location and delivery destination
depository or delivery location. The communication between the user device and
the central circuitry enables
storing the data related to each deposit item and transport job on the user
carrier contact device to facilitate the
activities that the item carrier is to perform in a proper manner and
sequence.
In the exemplary arrangement once the transport assignment has been reserved
for the authorized transport
user by the central circuitry responsive to the at least one item transport
acceptance message, the central circuitry
operates in a step 238 to generate the one-time designated carrier access code
that will enable the authorized user to
access the originating depository in which the deposit item is currently
located. At step 240 the central circuitry
then operates to send the at least one transport assignment message to the
carrier contact device. The at least one
transport assignment message includes data corresponding to the one-time
designated carrier access code and the
location data for the originating depository to the item carrier. The user's
carrier contact device operates to receive
the data such as in the at least one transport assignment message represented
at step 242. The exemplary central
circuitry is operative to correlate the stored data corresponding to at least
two of the item carrier identifying
information, the delivery item identifier, and the depository from which the
item carrier will receive the item and/or
a respective interior area thereof, in the at least one data store such that
they are stored in correlated relation. The
exemplary central circuitry is further operative to store in correlated
relation, the stored data regarding the one-time
.. carrier access code and at least one of the item carrier identifying
information, the delivery item identifier and the
depository/interior area in which the delivery item is housed. The contact
device then operates in accordance with
its programming to guide the item carrier such as through the use of GPS data,
to the originating depository location
at which the deposit item is to be picked up.
Once the item carrier has arrived at the originating depository, the carrier
contact device is operated by the
item carrier to wirelessly send their user identifying information from the
carrier contact device to the at least one
input device of the depository. In the exemplary arrangement as represented at
step 244, the user's wireless token
data is sent from the carrier contact device of the user item carrier to the
RF input device such as the wireless portal
associated with the depository. The control circuitry of the depository is
operative to receive user identifying data as
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
represented at step 246, and is also operative to enable the keypad of the
depository to receive an input access code
which may correspond to the one-time designated carrier access code as
represented at step 248. In other
arrangements the designated carrier access code may be received through other
input devices in operative
connection with the depository, such as for example, the wireless portal. The
control circuitry is then operative
responsive at least in part to receipt of the input access code to send at
least one repository access request message as
represented at step 250. The at least one repository access request message
includes data corresponding to the user
identification data, the input access code value and depository identifying
data to the central circuitry. The central
circuitry operates to receive the data in the at least one repository access
request message from the depository as
represented at step 252 and makes an authorized access determination
responsive to verifying based on the stored
data that the user identifying data corresponds to the authorized user who is
to receive the deposit item, and that the
input access code value corresponds to the designated access code appropriate
for accessing the depository (or in
some arrangements a particular compartment thereof). In some arrangements the
central circuitry is also operative
to carry out the authorized access determination responsive to the identifying
data for the depository receiving the
input access code value and/or the user identification data corresponding to
the origination depository for the
transport of the deposit item. The authorized access determination is
represented by step 254.
Responsive to the authorized access determination that the user identifying
data and the one-time
designated access code received at the originating depository is appropriate
for accessing the deposit item, the
central circuitry then is operative to send at least one repository access
approval message to the originating
depository as represented at step 256 to enable the interior area holding the
deposit item in the depository to be
accessed. As represented at step 258 the control circuitry of the originating
depository is operative to receive and
verify the genuineness of the message data from the central circuitry.
Responsive at least in part to receipt and
verification of the at least one depository access approval message, the
control circuitry is operative to cause the
lock to be changed to the unlocked condition as represented at step 260. The
deposit item in the interior area of the
depository thereby becomes accessible to the item carrier. The exemplary
control circuitry associated with the
originating depository is then operative to detect the opening of the door and
to operate the sensors comprising
reading devices to capture the indicia such as machine readable bar code for
example, included on the deposit item
that is removed from the interior area of the depository as represented by
step 262. Alternatively in some
arrangements the item carrier may capture an image of the item identifying
indicia using their portable wireless
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
device. In some arrangements the exemplary control circuitry is also operative
to capture a plurality of images
including the user and the deposit item, and to store the image data along
with time data in the data store associated
with the depository control circuitry. The weight sensor is also operative to
indicate the change in weight associated
with the removed item. This is represented by step 264.
The exemplary control circuitry and/or portable wireless device is then
operative to send at least one parcel
removal message to the central system circuitry, at step 266. The at least one
parcel removal message includes
parcel removal data corresponding to the identifying indicia read by the at
least one sensor from the deposit item and
the weight data. In other exemplary arrangements the parcel removal data may
include other data that can be
detected or read by one or more readers/sensors of the originating depository
and/or through operation of the item
carrier's portable wireless device. The central circuitry receives the parcel
removal data in the at least one parcel
removal message at step 268 and is operative at step 270 to verify that the
parcel removal data corresponding to the
read indicia corresponds to the deposit item identifying data for the delivery
item that is to be taken by the identified
item carrier that has accessed the depository based on the stored correlated
data. The central circuitry may also
verify that the weight removed and/or the size and/or other property of the
item removed corresponds to removal of
the proper delivery item. The central circuitry then operates at step 272 to
send one or more correct parcel removal
messages to the originating depository, that indicate that the deposit item
identification indicia and user indicia is
appropriate. Alternatively or in addition the at least one correct parcel
removal message may be sent to the carrier
contact device. The control circuitry of the depository may receive the
message data from the central circuitry as
represented at step 274 and is operative to provide an indication to the user
that the removal activity is appropriate as
represented at step 276. As previously discussed this indication may be given
through visual and/or audible
indication output by one or more output devices such as indicators on the
depository. Alternatively such indications
may be provided as outputs from the carrier contact device. Of course if the
deposit item removal activity or user
data is not appropriate, then negative indication outputs are provided either
through the depository indicators and/or
through messages that are sent by the central circuitry to the user's portable
wireless carrier contact device.
The control circuitry of the exemplary originating depository is then
operative responsive to the captured
image data from the sensors such as reading devices, and/or the detected
change in weight, to make a determination
of the action status that has been carried out by the item carrier with regard
to the identified deposit item.
Alternatively or in addition, the determination may be carried out responsive
at least in part to a wireless message
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
from the carrier contact device responsive to an input from the user
indicating that they have removed the parcel.
This determination which is represented by step 278, is an action
determination that the deposit item has been
removed from the interior area of the depository. The control circuitry
associated with the originating depository
then senses for detection that the depository door has been closed as
represented in step 280. As previously
discussed the control circuitry of the depository either alone or through
communication with the central circuitry,
may operate to prompt the user to close the depository door in the event that
closure is not detected within a
programmed time. The control circuitry then operates to cause the lock to be
changed to the locked condition once
the door is closed as represented by step 282. The control circuitry then
operates to send one or more delivery item
parcel removal messages to the central circuitry indicating that the deposit
item has been removed and taken from
the depository by the item carrier as represented by step 284. As can be
appreciated this process may be carried out
for multiple parcels that are to be transported by the item carrier.
Responsive to the central circuitry receiving the one or more delivery item
parcel removal messages from
the depository and/or the carrier contact device that the deposit item has
been taken by the item carrier, the
exemplary central circuitry operates as indicated at step 286 to update the
status data for the deposit item in the
associated data store to indicate that the deposit item is with the authorized
item carrier. In some exemplary
arrangements the central circuitry then operates to cause at least one pick up
request confirmation message to be sent
to the portable wireless carrier contact device of the item carrier who has
taken the deposit item to confirm that they
have the item. This is represented by step 288. The portable wireless carrier
contact device of the item carrier
operates in accordance with its programming to cause one or more outputs that
prompt the item carrier to confirm
that they have received possession of the deposit item. This is represented at
step 290. As represented at step 292,
the user's portable wireless carrier contact device operates responsive to at
least one confirmation input from the
item carrier to send one or more wireless delivery item possession
confirmation messages to the central circuitry to
confirm that the user received possession of the deposit item. Of course it
should be understood that in other
exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry may omit the confirmation
steps 286 through 292. This is
particularly true in situations where the user indicates that they have the
item by providing an input to their carrier
contact device indicating they have taken the item and/or the user scans the
parcel identifying indicia using the
camera on the device, which results in wireless messages to the central system
circuitry.
33
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
Responsive to the central circuitry receiving the delivery item possession
confirmation messages from the
user's portable wireless carrier contact device at step 294, or in some
arrangements more directly responsive to one
or more parcel removal messages, the central circuitry operates to recover
from memory or otherwise resolve the
destination depository for the item carrier to deliver the deposit item. This
is represented at step 296. The
exemplary central circuitry further operates to generate a one-time access
delivery code to be input by the item
carrier to the destination depository into which the item carrier is to place
the deposit item. This is represented by
step 298. The exemplary central system circuitry is further operative to store
in correlated relation the data
corresponding to at least two of the delivery item identifier, the item
carrier identifying information, the one-time
access code and the depository/interior area into which the delivery item is
to be placed. The exemplary central
.. circuitry is next operative to send at least one item transport delivery
message including data corresponding to the
one-time item carrier access code and the location information for the
destination depository to the user's portable
wireless carrier contact device. This is represented by step 300. The
exemplary central circuitry continues to
monitor the location of the portable wireless carrier contact device of the
item carrier through GPS as the deposit
item is transported toward the destination depository. This is represented by
step 302.
As represented by step 304, in the exemplary system the portable wireless
device of the transport user is
operative to receive in the at least one item transport delivery message the
data regarding the depository location and
the one-time item carrier access delivery code. The portable wireless carrier
contact device operates in accordance
with its programming to direct the item carrier through use of the GPS data or
other location data to the destination
depository or other location at which the deposit item is to be delivered.
This is represented by step 306. Upon
arrival at the destination depository the item carrier operates their portable
wireless device to cause the user
identifying data including the user ID token to be sent from the user's device
to the RF input device of the
depository. This is represented by step 308.
In an exemplary arrangement control circuitry associated with the destination
depository is operative to
receive the wireless user identifying information as represented by step 310.
The control circuitry is also operative
to enable receipt through the keypad or in some arrangements the wireless
portal of the destination depository, of the
input access code value corresponding to the one-time item carrier access
delivery code from the item carrier. This
is represented by step 312. The control circuitry associated with the
destination depository is operative to send the
received user identifying data, the input access code value, and depository
identifying data to the central circuitry in
34
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
at least one repository access message as represented by step 314. The
exemplary central circuitry is operative to
receive the data in the at least one repository access message as represented
by step 316, and operates to verify that
the received user data corresponds to the item carrier and that the input
access code value corresponds to the one-
time item carrier access delivery code as represented in step 318. The
exemplary central circuitry is then operative
to send at least one repository access approval message to the depository
which includes data indicative that the
received user data and the code data are appropriate based on the correlated
stored data, and that the central system
circuitry determined interior area of the destination depository (or a
particular compartment of the depository)
should be unlocked so as to make the designated interior area of the
destination repository accessible. This is
represented by step 320.
The control circuitry of the exemplary destination depository is operative to
receive the repository access
approval message data from the central circuitry as represented by step 322.
Responsive to the at least one
repository message from the central circuitry being received and verified, the
control circuitry associated with the
destination depository is operative to cause the appropriate lock thereof to
be changed to the unlocked condition as
represented in step 324. As a result the designated interior area of the
destination repository is externally accessible
so that the delivery item may be placed therein by the item carrier. In some
arrangements responsive to detecting
that the depository door has been opened, the exemplary control circuitry is
operative to cause the reading devices to
capture the machine readable indicia including the identifying indicia on the
deposit item being placed in the
designated interior area of the destination depository as represented by step
326. Alternatively the item carrier may
use their portable wireless device to capture an image of the parcel
identifying indicia and/or the depository to
document placement of the item. The control circuitry may also be operative to
cause images from the reading
devices and the change in weight detected by the at least one weight sensor to
be captured and stored in the at least
one data store along with the data corresponding to the captured identifying
indicia on the deposit item, to document
the accessing of the depository and the placement of the deposit item therein.
This is represented by step 328.
The exemplary control circuitry associated with the destination depository is
next operative to send at least
one parcel insertion message, which is alternatively referred to herein as a
parcel placement message to the central
system circuitry as represented in step 330. The exemplary at least one parcel
insertion message includes data
corresponding to the indicia read and/or sensed from the deposit item
including the machine readable indicia.
Alternatively, in some arrangements, the parcel insertion message may be sent
by the carrier contact device
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
responsive to using the device to read the parcel identifier and receiving at
least one input indicative of placement in
the depository. The central circuitry receives the data included in the at
least one parcel insertion message at step
332 and verifies that the indicia read and/or sensed from the deposit item
(size, weight or other information or
properties) corresponds to the correlated stored data for the deposit item to
be deposited in the destination
depository. This includes verifying that the read machine readable indicia
read from the deposit item placed in the
destination depository corresponds to the delivery item identifier. The
central circuitry also verifies that the
identifying data associated with the user corresponds to the user that is
authorized to place the delivery item into the
depository. This is represented by step 334. The central circuitry is then
operative to send one or more correct
parcel placement verification messages to the control circuitry of the
destination depository to indicate that the
received identifying indicia on the deposit item is correct. Alternatively or
in addition the at least one correct parcel
verification message may be sent to the carrier contact device. This is
represented by step 336. The exemplary
control circuitry of the depository receives the at least one correct parcel
placement verification messages from the
central circuitry as represented in step 338 and provides one or more outputs
to the user to indicate that the indicia
read and/or sensed from the deposit item is appropriate as represented in step
340. The at least one output may be
provided by at least one output device of the destination depository and/or
through an output device of the carrier
contact device. The exemplary control circuitry associated with the depository
may then be operative to analyze the
captured image data and/or weight data to determine the action status
associated with the deposit item. As
represented in step 342 the control circuitry is operative to determine an
action status that the deposit item has been
received into the interior area of the depository.
In other exemplary arrangements the control circuitry associated with the
depository may operate in an
alternative manner to provide the authorized user with access to the interior
area so that the deposit item may be
placed therein. In such alternative arrangements the control circuitry may
operate to receive the user identifying
data wirelessly from the mobile wireless device associated with the user in a
manner like that previously discussed.
This may be done for example through a wireless input device such as a
wireless transceiver in operative connection
with the control circuitry that is operative to control access to the
depository. Further in this alternative
arrangement, a camera of the portable wireless device associated with the item
carrier may be utilized as the reading
device which is operative to read the item identifying indicia on the deposit
item. The mobile carrier contact device
may then operate to wirelessly communicate the item identifying indicia to the
control circuitry. This may be done
36
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
through the same or a different wireless communication path as the user
identifying information. The control
circuitry may then operate in accordance with its circuit executable
instructions to make a determination based on
the correlated stored data that the user identifying information corresponds
to an authorized user, as well as a
determination that the read item indicia corresponds to a deposit item that is
authorized to be placed within the
depository. The control circuitry may then operate in accordance with its
programmed circuit executable
instructions to cause the corresponding lock associated with the appropriate
depository door to be changeable to the
unlocked condition responsive at least in part to the user identification
determination, the determination that the
deposit item indicia corresponds to previously stored data indicative that the
item is authorized to be placed in the
respective interior area of the depository, or both. Further in some
alternative exemplary arrangements, the control
circuitry may operate responsive at least in part to the read item identifying
indicia, which may include additional
information about the item, to operate to cause the corresponding lock to be
able to be placed in the unlocked
condition. For example in some exemplary arrangements the item indicia
included on the deposit item may
correspond to a destination repository or a location in which the deposit item
is to be delivered. In some exemplary
arrangements the control circuitry may operate to determine if the item
indicia includes data corresponding to the
GPS determined location and/or identifying information for the depository in
which the item is sought to be
positioned. Responsive at least in part to the determination, the control
circuitry is operative to enable the
depository lock associated with the interior area in which the item is
authorized to be placed, to be changeable to the
unlocked condition. Further although in the exemplary arrangements the data
regarding item carrier contact
information and/or one-time access code, the delivery item identifier or other
information may be received from a
carrier contact device through an input device such as a wireless portal that
is located at the particular depository, in
other arrangements such information may be received through at least one
wireless transceiver located remotely
from the depository. For example, in such arrangements location data, such as
GPS data associated with the location
of the carrier contact device, may be provided to the central system circuitry
in the messages from the carrier contact
device. Such location data may be usable by the central system circuitry to
determine that the carrier contact device
is in proximity to a particular depository. Thus in such alternative
arrangements it is not necessary for the local
circuitry associated with the particular depository to receive the messages
from the carrier contact device for
purposes of assuring that the carrier contact device is in proximity to the
depository and the item carrier is positioned
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to place the delivery item in or remove the delivery item from the depository.
Of course it should be understood that
these approaches are exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may
be used.
After the deposit is placed in the interior area the exemplary control
circuitry then operates in accordance
with its programming to sense for closure of the depository door. This is
represented by step 344. As previously
discussed the exemplary control circuitry may provide different forms of
prompts to the user in the event that the
depository door is not sensed as closed within a programmed time. Responsive
to detecting the closure of the
depository door the control circuitry of the destination repository operates
to change the condition of the lock to the
locked condition as represented by step 346. The exemplary control circuitry
is then operative to send one or more
delivery completion messages from the depository to the central system
circuitry to indicate that the deposit item is
within the designated interior area of the depository as represented by step
348. Alternatively or in addition a
delivery completion message may be sent by the carrier contact device
responsive to at least one input thereto by the
item carrier. The exemplary central circuitry responsive to receiving the
delivery completion messages, operates to
update the status related to the deposit item in its associated at least one
data store to indicate that the deposit item is
located within the particular destination depository. This is represented by
step 350.
In situations where the delivery completion message is not sent from the
carrier contact device, the
exemplary central circuitry is next operative to send one or more delivery
confirmation request messages to the
portable wireless carrier contact device of the item carrier requesting
confirmation that the deposit item has been
placed in the destination depository. This is represented by step 352. The
portable wireless carrier contact device of
the item carrier operates responsive to the received messages to provide
outputs which prompt the user to confirm
the placement of the deposit item in the destination depository. This is
represented by step 354. Responsive to
receipt of at least one input from the item carrier the portable wireless
carrier contact device is operative at step 356
to provide one or more delivery confirmation response messages to the central
circuitry confirming that the user has
placed the deposit item in the interior area of the destination depository. In
other exemplary arrangements the
confirmation steps 352 through 356 are not carried out.
The central circuitry of the exemplary embodiment is operative responsive at
least in part to receipt of the
delivery confirmation response messages from the transport user at step 358 or
more directly responsive at least in
part to the at least one delivery completion message, to determine that the
item carrier has completed the transport
assignment and to calculate a payment that is due to the item carrier as
represented at step 360. The exemplary
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
central circuitry is then operative to credit the item carrier for a payment
amount corresponding to the payment that
is due as represented at step 362. This may include crediting an account
associated with the item carrier for the
amount payable. Alternatively it may include a financial transfer to an
account associated with the item carrier.
Various payment forms may be accomplished depending on the arrangement that
has been set up by the central
system circuitry for making payment to the particular item carrier. The
exemplary central circuitry then operates to
send one or more messages to the carrier contact device of the item carrier
indicating the payment as represented at
step 364. The item carrier receives the notice of the payment through the
portable wireless carrier contact device
which outputs appropriate messages to the item carrier user as represented at
step 366. Of course it should be
understood that these steps are representative of only some exemplary payment
transactions that may be carried out
responsive to operation of the central circuitry.
In this example the initial item carrier was available only to transport the
deposit item to a destination
depository at an intermediate destination, and not to the final destination
depository for the deposit item. Therefore
responsive to the determination that the deposit item has arrived at the
intermediate destination depository, the
exemplary central circuitry is operative to determine a next destination
depository for the deposit item. This is
represented by step 368. As previously discussed the central circuitry will
operate to have the deposit item reach its
final destination depository with a minimum number of intermediate
destinations. However if it is not possible with
the available item carriers to move the deposit item to its final destination
with the next transport assignment, the
exemplary control circuitry will cause the deposit item to be moved to another
intermediate destination depository
that is closer to its final destination. However for purposes of this example
the next transport assignment will result
in the deposit item reaching its final destination depository. Of course it
should be understood that in other
arrangements delivery may be made to a recipient's address rather than to a
destination repository.
The exemplary central circuitry conducts a similar analysis to that previously
discussed with regard to
available item carriers for purposes of determining the next transport
assignment which can be made for the deposit
item. The central circuitry may also conduct an analysis of the available item
carrier information at step 370. The
central circuitry may also review the rating data and other information for
the available item carriers as represented
at step 372. As represented at step 374 a comparative analysis is done of the
available item carrier data to pending
transport jobs to produce a match as represented at step 376. The exemplary
central circuitry will then operate to
determine the destination depository endpoint (or delivery location end point)
for the deposit item delivery to be
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
made by the available item carrier as represented at step 378. In this example
the next destination will be the
destination depository which is the final delivery destination for the deposit
item.
The exemplary central circuitry is further operative to calculate the rate
information to be paid for the
transport by the available item carrier. This is represented at step 380. In
some exemplary arrangements the central
circuitry may operate to provide item carriers with incentives to transport
particular deposit items. For example, if
an item is not moving toward the final destination at an acceptable rate, the
central circuitry may offer a premium to
an available item carrier to transport the item. Of course this approach is
exemplary.
The exemplary central circuitry is then operative at step 382 to send one or
more opportunity messages to
the portable wireless carrier contact device of the selected item carrier
which describes the transport job that is
.. available. In the exemplary arrangement the data included in the at least
one opportunity message includes
information regarding the pickup originating depository, deposit item parcel,
transport route, endpoint destination
depository and monetary amount or rate to be paid to the available item
carrier. Of course in some cases additional
or different information may be provided. Further in some arrangements an item
carrier may be offered an
opportunity to transport multiple parcels to the same destination or to
multiple destinations along a common route.
The portable wireless carrier contact device of the item carrier receives the
at least one opportunity message as
represented by step 384. The portable wireless carrier contact device of the
item carrier operates responsive at least
in part to the received data included in the at least one opportunity message
to provide at least one output which
indicates the details of the available transport job which the item carrier
can then review as represented at step 386.
If the item carrier wishes to accept the transport job, the item carrier
provides one or more inputs to their portable
wireless carrier contact device as represented at step 388, and the carrier
contact device operates to send one or more
item transport acceptance messages indicating a willingness to accept the
transport job as represented at step 390.
As represented by step 392 the central circuitry operates to receive the item
transport acceptance messages
including data indicating that the item carrier is willing to perform the
transport job, and reserves the transport
assignment for the item carrier as represented at step 394. The central
circuitry operates to generate a one-time
designated carrier access code for the item carrier as represented at step
396. The central system circuitry operates
to store the correlated data corresponding to at least two of the authorized
user identifying data for the user who has
accepted the item transport assignment, the delivery item identifying data,
the one-time access code, and the interior
area/depository where the item will be placed in a manner like that previously
discussed. The central circuitry
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
operates to send at least one transport assignment message including data
corresponding to the one-time designated
carrier access code and the location data for the originating depository to
the user's portable wireless carrier contact
device as represented by step 398.
The portable wireless carrier contact device of the item carrier receives the
access code and location
information in the at least one transport assignment message as represented by
step 400. The portable wireless
carrier contact device operates in accordance with its programming and the
originating depository location
information to guide the user to the depository as represented by step 402. As
in the previous example the carrier
contact device may be tracked via GPS, cell phone data or other methodology.
Once arriving at the depository the
item carrier operates the portable wireless carrier contact device to send the
wireless identifying information such as
the ID token data that identifies the item carrier, to the RF input device of
the originating depository as represented
by step 404. The control circuitry of the depository receives the item carrier
user identifying information as
represented at step 406. The circuitry associated with the originating
depository also receives an input access code
that may correspond to the one-time designated carrier access code from the
item carrier as represented by step 408.
The depository control circuitry is then operative to send at least one
depository access request message including
data corresponding to the user identifying information, the one-time
designated carrier code and the depository
identifying information, to the central circuitry as represented by step 410.
The central circuitry receives the data included in the at least one
depository access request message from
the depository at step 412 and operates using the stored data to verify the
user identifying information corresponding
to the authorized item carrier and that the input access code corresponds to
the one-time designated carrier access
code as represented at step 414. The central circuitry is operative to send
one or more depository access approval
messages to the depository indicating that the received item carrier
identifying information and designated carrier
access code is appropriate for accessing the interior area of the originating
depository. This is represented by step
416. The control circuitry associated with the depository receives the at
least one depository access approval
message from the central circuitry indicating that the depository is to be
opened and verifies the authenticity of the
message as represented at step 418. The control circuitry associated with the
depository is operative responsive at
least in part to the at least one depository access approval message to cause
the lock controlling access to the interior
area or compartment space where the deposit item is housed to be enabled to be
changed to the unlocked condition
as represented at step 420. The control circuitry is further operative to
operate at least one sensor to sense and/or
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capture the machine readable deposit item identifying indicia on the deposit
item, image and/or size or other
property data and the change in detected weight as the item is removed from
the interior area of the originating
depository as represented by step 422. Alternatively the item carrier may
operate their portable wireless device to
capture one or more images of the item identifying indicia and the device
sends the image data and/or parcel
identifying indicia to the central circuitry. The exemplary control circuitry
also captures and stores images
associated with accessing the depository including the item carrier user and
the removal of the deposit item as
represented by step 424. The control circuity also associates time data with
the captured images. The control
circuitry is then operative to send at least one parcel removal message
including data corresponding to the deposit
identifying indicia, size, other property data and/or weight information to
the central circuitry as represented by step
426. Alternatively or in addition, one or more parcel removal messages may be
sent by the carrier contact device.
The central circuitry is operative to receive the data included in the at
least one parcel removal message as
represented by step 428 and verify that the indicia read from the deposit
item, size, property data and/or weight data
corresponds to the deposit item to be taken by the user whose identifying data
has been received as represented at
step 430. This may include verifying that machine readable indicia read from
the deposit item corresponds to the
deposit item identifier. The central circuitry is then operative to send one
or more correct parcel verification
messages to the depository indicating that the information received related to
the deposit item and the user is correct.
Alternatively or in addition the one or more correct parcel verification
messages may be sent to the carrier contact
device. This is represented by step 432.
The depository is operative to receive the data included in the at least one
correct parcel verification
messages from the central circuitry as represented by step 434 and to provide
an indication to the user from an
output device that the identifying indicia for the deposit item being removed
is correct as represented at step 436.
Alternatively or in addition the central circuitry may operate to send the
confirmation message to the item carrier's
portable wireless device. Of course as previously discussed, if the indicia,
size, property and/or weight associated
with the deposit item and/or the user data is incorrect, a warning indication
is output from an output device of the
depository and/or the user's portable wireless carrier contact device to
indicate the error. The control circuitry
associated with the exemplary depository is then operative to determine from
the sensors of the originating
repository which comprise reading devices and/or messages from the carrier
contact device, the action status
associated with the deposit item. In this case the action status corresponds
to the deposit item being removed as
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indicated at step 438. The exemplary control circuitry of the depository then
operates to sense the closure of the
depository door as represented by step 440 and to change the condition of the
lock to the locked condition as
represented at step 442. The depository control circuitry is then operative to
send one or more delivery item parcel
removal messages to the central circuitry which are indicative of and give a
notification that the deposit item has
been taken as represented by step 444.
The exemplary central circuitry is then operative to update in at least one
data store the status of the deposit
item to indicate that the deposit item is with the item carrier as represented
by step 446. In some arrangements, the
central circuitry may also cause one or more confirmation request messages to
be sent to the transport user's
portable wireless carrier contact device requesting confirmation that the item
carrier has possession of the deposit
item. This is represented by step 448. The portable wireless device of the
transport user operates to receive these
confirmation request messages and to provide outputs to the item carrier
indicating the request for confirmation.
This is represented by step 450. Responsive to the item carrier providing
inputs which confirm the item carrier has
possession of the deposit item, the portable wireless carrier contact device
sends one or more confirmation response
messages to the central circuitry confirming possession of the deposit item by
the user. This is represented by step
452.
Responsive to the central circuitry receiving the at least one confirmation
response message from the item
carrier's portable wireless carrier contact device at step 454 and/or the
parcel removal messages, the central circuitry
is operative to recover data corresponding to the destination depository for
the deposit item at step 456 and to
generate the one-time item carrier access delivery code usable by the item
carrier to access the depository at the
destination as represented at step 458. The central circuitry is then
operative to send at least one item transport
delivery message including data corresponding to the one-time code and the
location of the destination depository to
the carrier contact device at step 460. The central system circuitry further
operates to store the correlated data
corresponding to at least two of the authorized item carrier identifying
information, the one-time access code, the
deposit item identifying data, and the interior area/destination repository
data in the at least one data store.
The portable wireless carrier contact device of the item carrier receives the
data including the one-time
code and the depository location in the at least one item transport delivery
message at step 462. The user operates
the portable wireless carrier contact device to be guided to the destination
depository through GPS or other location
finding methods as represented by step 464. The central circuitry of the
exemplary arrangement tracks the item
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carrier through GPS tracking as represented by step 466. Upon arrival at the
destination depository the item carrier
operates their portable wireless carrier contact device to provide their user
identification data such as the ID token to
the RF input device of the depository as represented at step 468. The control
circuitry is operative to receive the
user identifying data as represented at step 470. The keypad or the wireless
portal of the depository is also operative
to receive an input access code corresponding to the one-time item carrier
access delivery code from the item carrier
as represented at step 472. The control circuitry of the depository is
operative to send data corresponding to the user
identifying data, the input access code corresponding to the one-time item
carrier access delivery code and
depository identifying data to the central circuitry in at least one
depository access request message as represented at
step 474.
The central circuitry receives the data included in the at least one deposit
access request message from the
destination depository as represented at step 476 and operates using the
stored data to verify the user identifying data
and the input access code as corresponding to the one-time item carrier access
delivery code as authorized at step
478. The central circuitry is operative to send one or more access approval
messages to the depository indicating
that the received data is appropriate as represented by step 480, and the
control circuitry of the depository is
operative to verify the received message data at step 482. Responsive to the
received at least one access approval
message indicating that the user data and the code data is authorized, the
control circuitry of the depository is
operative to cause the lock controlling access to the interior area or
compartment space where the central system
circuitry has determined the deposit item should be placed to be changed to
the unlocked condition as represented by
step 484. The control circuitry operates the sensors comprising reading
devices to capture the indicia on the deposit
item, size, property and/or weight data for the deposit item that is being
placed in the interior area of the destination
depository as represented by step 486. Alternatively the item carrier may
capture the item indicia of the parcel
placed in the interior area and send such images and/or data corresponding to
the indicia to the central circuitry. The
control circuitry also operates the sensors comprising reading devices to
capture images including the item carrier
access to the depository and the placement of the deposit item therein, and to
store the image data along with
associated time data in the data store of the control circuitry. This is
represented by step 488.
The control circuitry associated with the depository is operative to send at
least one parcel placement
message including data corresponding to the indicia read and/or sensed from
the deposit item to the central circuitry
as represented by step 490. Alternatively or in addition at least one parcel
placement message may be sent by the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
carrier contact device. The central circuitry receives the identifying indicia
at step 492 and is operative in a step 494
to verify that the identifying indicia, size, property and/or weight
information corresponds to the appropriate deposit
item and that the user identifying data corresponds to the appropriate user.
The exemplary central circuitry is also
operative to verify that the read machine readable indicia from the deposit
item corresponds to the delivery item
identifier. The central circuitry is operative to send one or more messages
verifying the correctness of the input data
and deposit item as represented at step 496. The at least one correct parcel
verification message may alternatively or
in addition be sent to the carrier contact device. The control circuitry of
the depository receives the one or more
messages as represented by step 498 and provides one or more outputs through
the indicators or other output devices
of the depository that the deposit information is correct as represented by
step 500.
The control circuitry associated with the depository is operative to determine
the action status of the deposit
item from the data captured by the reading devices. As represented in step 502
the action status determination
indicates that the deposit item has been received into the depository. The
control circuitry operates to sense the
closing of the depository door in a step 504, and responsive to sensing the
door closure changes the lock to the
locked condition as represented by step 506. The control circuitry of the
depository then operates to send one or
more deposit item received messages to the central circuitry to indicate that
the deposit item is located within the
depository. This is represented by step 508. Responsive to receiving the
messages indicating that the deposit item is
within the depository the central circuitry is operative to update the stored
record data regarding the deposit item in
the data store to indicate that the deposit item is within the particular
destination depository as represented by step
510.
In some arrangements, the exemplary central circuitry then operates to cause
one or more confirmation
request messages to be sent to the portable wireless carrier contact device of
the item carrier requesting confirmation
that the deposit item has been placed in the depository. This is represented
by step 512. The portable wireless
carrier contact device of the item carrier receives the messages and provides
outputs to the user indicating the
request for confirmation. This is represented by step 514. Responsive to
inputs by the user to their portable wireless
carrier contact device confirming the placement of the deposit item in the
depository, the portable wireless carrier
contact device is operative to send one or more delivery confirmation response
messages as represented at step 516.
Responsive to the central circuitry receiving the at least one delivery
confirmation message that the deposit
item has been placed in the depository at step 518, the central circuitry is
operative to calculate the payment that is
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
due the item carrier for transport of the depository item. This is represented
by step 520. The central circuitry is
then operative to credit the transport user a payment amount for the transport
services provided as represented at
step 522. One or more messages are sent to the carrier contact device at step
524 which are received by the user's
portable wireless carrier contact device and which provide outputs to the item
carrier indicating the payment made
for the transport of the deposit item as represented at step 526.
In some arrangements responsive to the determination by the central circuitry
that the deposit item has been
delivered to the indicated final destination depository, the central circuitry
is then operative to determine the deposit
item recipient to be notified of the delivery. The recipient data including
recipient contact data may be included in
the at least one transport request message associated with the receipt of the
deposit item. Alternatively in some
arrangements the delivery item delivery location data may correspond to
recipient data. The recipient data for
registered users including contact data for the user's device may be stored in
a data store in operative connection
with the central system circuitry. The determination of the recipient data is
represented by step 528. In exemplary
arrangements the recipient of the deposit item may be the owner of the
depository into which the deposit item has
been placed as the final destination. Alternatively the recipient to be
notified may be a registered user of the system
that is not the owner of the depository in which the item has been placed,
which necessitates notification and
providing access for the intended recipient.
An example where the recipient of the deposit item is the owner of the
depository is represented by the
logic flow included in Figures 28 through 30. Responsive to the central
circuitry determining that the depository
owner is the recipient of the deposit item to be notified in step 528, the
central circuitry operates to produce and at
least one notification message to the depository owner at step 530. The
central circuitry is also operative to generate
a one-time recipient access code for accessing the depository to retrieve the
deposit item at step 532. The central
circuitry then operates to send at least one recipient notification message
including data corresponding to the one-
time recipient access code to the portable wireless device or other contact
device of the depository owner as
represented at step 534. The central system circuitry further operates to
store in correlated relation the data
corresponding to at least two of the identifying data for the deposit item
recipient, the one-time code, the deposit
item identifier and the interior area/depository in which the deposit item is
stored. The depository owner then
travels to the depository and inputs their identifying data wirelessly to the
RF input device of the depository as
represented by step 536. This identifying data may include an ID token
assigned through a registration process of
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
the central system circuitry. The control circuitry of the depository receives
the wireless messages including the
identifying data at step 538 and also operates to receive the one-time
recipient access code through the keypad,
wireless portal or other input device at step 540. The control circuitry of
the depository is then operative to send at
least one depository access request message including data corresponding to
the identification data, the input
recipient access code and the depository identifier to the central circuitry
at step 542.
The central circuitry operates to receive the data in the at least one
depository access request message at
step 544 and uses the stored data to verify at step 546 that the received user
identifying data and recipient access
code data correspond to the data for authorized access to the interior area of
the destination depository housing the
deposit item. The central circuitry then operates to send one or more
depository access approval messages to the
depository as indicated at step 548. The control circuitry of the depository
receives and verifies the message data at
step 550 and changes the condition of the lock on the depository to the
unlocked condition as represented by step
552. The exemplary control circuitry of the depository operates to capture
through sensors and/or input devices the
deposit item identifying indicia on the deposit item, size, property and/or
weight data associated with the deposit
item being removed from the depository as represented by step 554 and in some
arrangements also captures images
of the recipient depository user and the deposit item which are stored in the
data store of the depository control
circuitry along with time data as represented at step 556. Alternatively or in
addition the user may operate their
mobile wireless device to capture images of the item identifying indicia using
a camera thereof and send it to the
central circuitry.
The exemplary control circuitry associated with the depository is operative to
send at least one parcel
removal message including data corresponding to the deposit item identifying
indicia, size, property and/or weight
data to the central circuitry as represented at step 558. The central
circuitry receives the data at step 560 and at step
562 verifies that the indicia, size, property and/or weight data sent
regarding the deposit item and the user
identifying data, corresponds to the authorized removal of the deposit item
from the depository. Alternatively or in
addition the central circuitry receives the parcel identifying indicia and/or
other images or data from the recipient's
portable wireless device. In the exemplary arrangement the central circuitry
is operative to determine that machine
readable indicia read from the removed deposit item corresponds to the deposit
item identifier. The central circuitry
is operative at step 564 to send one or more correct parcel removal messages
to the depository indicating that the
received information is appropriate. The control circuitry of the depository
receives the one or more correct parcel
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
removal messages at step 566 and provides an indication through the one or
more indicators or other output devices
of the depository that the deposit item removal data is appropriate at step
568. Alternatively or in addition the at
least one correct parcel removal message may be sent to the recipient device.
The exemplary control circuitry associated with the depository is then
operative to determine from the
captured image data, size, property and/or weight data the action status of
the deposit item. This is done in a step
570 in which the action status that the deposit item has been removed from the
depository is determined. The
control circuitry then operates to sense the closing of the depository door in
step 572 and causes the condition of the
lock to be changed to the locked condition in a step 574. The control
circuitry of the depository then operates to
send one or more parcel removed messages to the central circuitry to indicate
that the deposit item has been removed
from the depository at step 576.
The exemplary central circuitry then operates to update the status data
included in one or more data stores
of the central circuitry to indicate the deposit item has been removed from
the depository as represented in step 578.
In some arrangements, the central circuitry operates to send one or more
recipient confirmation request messages to
the portable wireless device or other device of the recipient depository owner
to confirm that they have taken the
deposit item as represented by step 580. The portable wireless device or other
device of the recipient depository
owner receives the receipt confirmation request messages and provides outputs
indicating that the confirmation is
requested. This is represented by a step 582. Responsive to the depository
owner providing one or more inputs to
their portable wireless device or other recipient device confirming receipt of
the deposit item, the recipient device
operates to send one or more recipient confirmation response messages to the
central circuitry as represented by step
584.
The central circuitry receives the at least one recipient confirmation
response message from the depository
owner at step 586. Responsive to receiving the confirmation that the deposit
item has been received by the intended
recipient, the central circuitry operates to send one or more messages to the
user device of the shipper user who is
responsible for causing transport of the deposit item to the recipient. This
is represented by step 588. Receipt of the
information by the shipper who is the originator of the deposit item is
represented by step 590. The exemplary
central circuitry is also operative at step 592 to calculate the charge
associated with the transport of the deposit item
and to assess the charge to the shipper entity that requested the transport.
The entity requesting the transport is
notified of the charge through one or more messages which are sent at step 594
and which are received by the user
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
who is the shipper through their portable wireless device at step 596. In the
exemplary arrangement the charges are
assessed to the funds source in the manner as designated by the user
requesting transport at the time that the request
was input to the system. Of course these approaches are exemplary and in other
embodiments other approaches may
be used. For example in other arrangements the charges may be assessed to a
recipient.
The alternative exemplary logic flow when the recipient of the deposit item is
not the owner of the
destination depository is represented in Figures 31 to 34. In this exemplary
arrangement from step 528, the central
circuitry is operative to determine the deposit item recipient to be notified
as represented in step 598. The recipient
and/or recipient contact data may be included in the transport request
message. The recipient and/or recipient
contact data may alternatively be resolved by the central circuitry from the
delivery item destination location or
other data included in the request for transport based on stored registered
user data in the at least one data store for
the recipient. If the recipient is not a registered system user the central
control circuitry may require additional
information from the shipper user as part of the transport request such as an
invoice number or other data that can be
used to confirm the identity of the recipient. The central circuitry is
further operative to determine the one-time
recipient access code to be used to access the interior area of the depository
in which the deposit item is held at step
600. The central circuitry is also operative to determine data stored in the
associated data store which corresponds
to the applicable requirements associated with the depository which houses the
deposit item as represented at step
602. This may include restrictions placed on operation of the depository by
the depository owner, such as limited
times for access or other requirements which restrict use of the depository by
entities other than the depository
owner. The central system circuitry further operates to store in correlated
relation the data corresponding to at least
two of the deposit item recipient, the one-time code, the deposit item
identifier, and the interior area/depository in
which the deposit item is stored.
The exemplary central circuitry may be operative to send data corresponding to
the notification and
recipient access code and other applicable requirements to the portable
wireless device (or other device) of the
recipient in at least one notification message as represented by step 604. The
notification message may include user
identifying data for the recipient that is usable in connection with obtaining
the deposit item if the recipient is not a
registered system user who has an ID token. In some situations the identifying
data may include an ID token or
other identifying data that was provided to the recipient during a
registration process that is required to participate in
the system. The portable wireless device is operative to provide outputs to
the recipient of the information needed to
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access the depository to retrieve the deposit item. As can be appreciated, in
some arrangements the information sent
to the recipient may include GPS or other location data that facilitates the
recipient traveling to the depository to
obtain the deposit item.
In an exemplary arrangement the recipient upon being in proximity with the
depository operates their
portable wireless device to provide the user identifying data wirelessly to
the RF input device in operative
connection with the depository as represented by step 606. The depository
receives the identifying data as
represented by step 608 and also receives the one-time recipient access code
through the keypad, or wireless portal
or other input device as represented by step 610. In some cases the recipient
user may also be required to input other
identifying data. The control circuitry is operative to cause data
corresponding to the received user identifying data,
the code data and depository identifying data to be sent to the central
circuitry in at least one depository access
request message as represented by step 612. The central circuitry receives the
data in the at least one depository
access request message as represented at step 614 and operates using the
stored data to verify the received user
identifying data and the recipient access code data as represented at step
616. The central circuitry is then operative
in a manner like that previously discussed to send one or more depository
access approval messages to the
depository indicating that the activity is authorized and that the depository
interior area or particular compartment
housing the deposit item should be unlocked. This is represented by step 618.
The control circuitry associated with the depository is operative to receive
and verify the at least one
depository access approval message from the central circuitry as represented
by step 620. Responsive at least in part
to the receipt of the messages the control circuitry is operative to unlock
the lock to the interior area housing the
deposit item as represented by step 622 and to cause the sensors comprising
reading devices to capture the size,
properties and/or weight associated with the item and the machine readable
indicia on the deposit item removed
from the interior area of the depository as represented by step 624.
Alternatively or in addition the recipient may be
prompted to capture item identifying indicia from the parcel or other image
data through use of the camera on their
portable wireless device and transmit messages to the control circuitry or the
central circuitry including such image
data and/or indicia. The control circuitry is also operative in some
arrangements to capture images of the recipient
user and the deposit item, and store the images and size, property and/or
weight data in the data store associated with
the control circuitry along with time data as represented by step 626.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
The control circuitry associated with the depository in some arrangements is
operative to send data
corresponding to the indicia read and/or sensed from the deposit item such as
size, property and/or weight data to the
central circuitry in at least one parcel removal message as represented by
step 628. The central circuitry receives the
data from the depository and/or the recipient device as represented by step
630 and operates to verify that the
received indicia and weight data corresponds to the appropriate depository
item and that the user identifying data
received corresponds to the authorized recipient as represented by step 632.
In an exemplary arrangement the
central circuitry is operative to verify that the machine readable indicia
read from the removed deposit item
corresponds to the delivery item identifier which identifies the particular
parcel. The central circuitry is operative to
send one or more correct parcel verification messages to the depository
indicating that the information related to
removal of the deposit item is correct. Such messages may additionally or
alternatively be sent to the recipient
device. This is represented by step 634. The control circuitry of the
depository is operative to receive the correct
parcel verification messages from the central circuitry as represented by step
636 and to provide one or more outputs
through the indicators or other output devices on the depository that the
deposit item information is correct as
represented by step 638.
The control circuitry of the exemplary depository is then operative to analyze
the captured image data, size
property and/or weight data to determine the action status associated with the
deposit item as represented by step
640. In this situation the control circuitry is operative to determine that
the deposit item has been removed from the
depository. The control circuitry is also operative to sense for closure of
the depository door as represented by step
642, and responsive to sensing the closure thereof, to cause the lock to be
returned to the locked condition as
represented by step 644. The control circuitry of the depository is operative
to send one or more delivery
completion messages to the central circuitry indicating that the deposit item
has been removed from the depository
as represented by step 646. The central circuitry is operative to receive the
delivery completion messages from the
depository and update the status data in the data store related to the deposit
item to indicate that the deposit item has
been removed from the depository as represented in step 648.
In a manner like that previously discussed, in some arrangements, the central
circuitry is further operative
to cause one or more receipt confirmation request messages to be sent to the
portable wireless device of the
recipient. This is represented by step 650. The messages request confirmation
that the deposit item has been
received by the recipient. The portable wireless device of the recipient is
operative responsive to the messages to
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provide outputs requesting such confirmation as represented by step 652. The
recipient then provides one or more
inputs to their portable wireless device confirming receipt of the deposit
item as represented by step 654. The
recipient wireless device operates responsive to the recipient inputs to send
at least one receipt confirmation
response message to the central circuitry. The central circuitry is operative
to receive the at least one receipt
confirmation from the recipient at step 656, and to send a notification
message to the user device of the shipper user
that requested the transport of the deposit item to indicate that the item has
been received at step 658. The portable
wireless device of the shipper user that requested the transport receives one
or more delivery indication messages as
represented by step 660.
The exemplary central circuitry is also operative to calculate the charge to
be assessed to the shipper user
requesting transport of the deposit item for the transport thereof. This is
represented by step 662. The charge for
transport is assessed to the shipper user in the manner designated at the time
of requesting shipment, and the user is
notified of the charge as represented at step 664. The user receives the
charge notifications through their portable
wireless device as represented by step 667.
Further in this exemplary arrangement because the deposit item was delivered
to the recipient through the
depository that is owned by a depository owner other than the recipient, the
depository owner receives a payment for
the associated use of their depository in connection with the delivery of the
deposit item. In the exemplary
arrangement the central circuitry is operative to calculate a payment that is
due the depository owner as represented
in a step 668. In some exemplary arrangements the central circuitry is
operative to send one or more messages to
the portable wireless device or other system device operated by the depository
owner to indicate the receipt of the
payments for the use of the depository. Alternatively in other exemplary
arrangements, the central circuitry may
operate to credit an account of the depository owner for such use of the
depository by offsetting the amount of
credits against charges to the depository owner for acceptance, transport
and/or delivery of deposit items. Of course
it should be understood that these approaches are exemplary and in other
embodiments other approaches may be
used.
It should be understood that while the examples provided discuss users dealing
with a single depository
item, in exemplary systems numerous different deposit items will be handled by
each authorized user. This may be
particularly true of item carrier users that simultaneously handle a plurality
of deposit items that are being
transported as a bundle or group between different depositories. The exemplary
embodiments help to assure that the
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proper depository items are removed and deposited in the proper depository for
purposes of transporting the item to
the proper destination. The ability of the exemplary arrangements to provide
an indication of any incorrect actions
and to track the whereabouts of deposit items within the system at all times
facilitates the prompt and reliable
transport and delivery of such depository items.
Further the exemplary arrangements provide advantages for transport of items
between depositories by
enabling the transport to be made by individuals who often are otherwise
commuting or otherwise traveling to
locations where item transport can be conducted as an ancillary activity that
generates revenue for the users. Such
transport can also be made in incremental steps as previously discussed based
on the available transport users. The
ability to utilize such user resources can also provide more options for
transport of items, while reducing costs
.. compared to scheduled transport systems.
As previously discussed in other exemplary arrangements item carriers may
deliver deposit items to
recipient addresses rather than to an item depository as a final destination.
In such arrangements the item carrier
may use their carrier contact device for purposes of documenting the delivery
to the recipient. This may include for
example, using the carrier contact device as a reader to capture images of the
deposit item, including the identifying
indicia on the parcel, showing the parcel placed at the delivery location.
Alternatively or in addition an item carrier
may utilize the carrier contact device and the camera thereon to capture
images that show the recipient facility or the
individual to whom the item is delivered. In still other exemplary
arrangements the item carrier device may be
operated by the item carrier to receive audio or audiovisual acknowledgments
from the recipient to document the
delivery of the parcel. Exemplary carrier contact devices may also include
circuit executable instructions that enable
the item carrier to capture a "signature" of the parcel recipient through
signature capture via recipient finger contact
with the touchscreen of the carrier contact device or through other types of
inputs which the recipient has agreed that
such input corresponds to their legal signature. Messages including the parcel
identifying indicia, and delivery
documentation are transmitted to the central system circuitry from the carrier
contact device. In some arrangements
the data sent may also include position data, such as GPS data, which is
indicative of the location and time at which
such documentation was captured. Such information may be imbedded in metadata
of captured images for
example. The exemplary central system circuitry is operative to store in at
least one data store the delivery
documentation in connection with the other data related to the delivery item.
Such record information related to the
delivery of the parcel may be stored in at least one data store in connection
with the central circuitry for a
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programmed period of time so that the delivery thereof to the recipient can be
audited and documented in the event
that questions arise as to the delivery or disposition of the particular
parcel. Of course these approaches are
exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be used.
Similar approaches may be used in some exemplary arrangements to have an item
carrier pick up deposit
items at an originating shipper address. The item carrier may operate their
mobile device to capture the item
identifying information and other item and shipper information to document
acceptance of the item for transport.
In exemplary arrangements the central system or other connected systems may be
further operative to
assure that the depositories operate properly and that malfunctions or
anomalies are detected and corrected
promptly. For example in exemplary arrangements the central system may operate
to receive information from the
control circuitry associated with each depository that is indicative of
conditions or statuses associated with the
devices that are included as part of the depository or that are in operative
connection therewith. In some exemplary
arrangements the control circuitry of each depository may be operative to
automatically report condition and/or
status information on a periodic basis to the central circuitry. Alternatively
or in addition the central circuitry may
be operative to periodically poll the control circuitry of each depository,
which polling messages are operative to
cause sending of information by the depository, and the receipt of the
condition or status information by the central
circuitry. Various combinations of such techniques and alternative
arrangements for obtaining condition and status
information associated with depositories may be provided in exemplary
arrangements.
The control circuitry of depositories in some exemplary arrangements may be
operative in accordance with
circuit executable instructions to monitor signals associated with the devices
included in or connected to the
depository. This may include sensors which are operative to detect errors or
malfunctions. For example, the control
circuitry may operate to detect situations where sensors such as cameras or
other image capture devices associated
with the depository are no longer operative to send image signals or have
degraded clarity so as to indicate a loss of
image capture capability. Other signals may be operative to detect a
malfunction of other sensors, such as switches
that are operative to determine the status of the depository door or other
component monitored by the switch. In
other exemplary arrangements conditions associated with the lock or locks
associated with the depository door may
be monitored for purposes of detecting a malfunction or possible efforts at
tampering. In some exemplary
arrangements the circuitry may operate to monitor the operation of the one or
more sensors, such as property sensors
of the types previously discussed. Property sensors such as weight sensors,
size sensors, image sensors, and other
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sensor types are monitored to determine if a sensor has malfunctioned or has
decreased sensitivity. Other sensors
may operate to detect abnormal conditions such as high or low temperatures
which may indicate a problem or a
malfunction. Other sensors may operate to detect smoke or other particulate
matter which may indicate combustion
or other possible problems. Additional sensors may be operative to detect the
temperature of the control circuitry, a
power supply and/or a battery or other element in connection therewith, for
purposes of determining a possible
malfunction.
In other exemplary arrangements conditions associated with sensors or devices
may be monitored to
determine malfunctions or other conditions indicative of problems or a
probable future problem. For example, if the
depository is located in an environment that needs to be illuminated such as
during evening hours, sensors may be
operative to monitor for the presence of a level of ambient lighting that
operates to illuminate the area of the
depository for security reasons. The absence of a sufficient level of ambient
illumination may be detected as an
unacceptable condition which needs to be remedied by the replacement of bulbs
or other illumination devices in the
area of the depository. Further in exemplary arrangements the circuitry may be
in operative connection with sensors
that are operative to detect the power draw associated with the operation of
depository devices. For example the
control circuitry may be operative to detect the power draw associated with
the electrical actuation needed for
locking or unlocking the lock of the depository. The values associated with
the power required for such activity
may be stored and monitored over time so that changes indicative of a
developing problem can be determined.
Alternatively or in addition, conditions associated with the available power
capabilities provided by a battery and/or
solar cells may be monitored to identify circumstances or trends which
indicate that the battery and/or solar power
source has failed or is exhibiting conditions which correspond to probable
upcoming failure. In some exemplary
arrangements such data may be stored and monitored over time. Such data may be
analyzed to determine trends
which are indicative of the particular component nearing an end-of-life
condition or a probable future malfunction.
In other exemplary arrangements the control circuitry may operate to monitor
connectivity associated with
wireless communications or other communication channels for purposes of
verifying that the depository is
maintaining the required communications capability with the central system.
The inability to maintain such
communications capability over a period of time may indicate problems
associated with the control circuitry and/or
the network in which the depository is connected. Further in exemplary
arrangements the depository may include
sensors which may sense conditions that are indicative of a criminal attack on
the depository. These may include for
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
example conductivity integrity sensors which are positioned in the walls, a
bottom and/or one or more doors of the
depository and which are operative to detect holes, cutting action or other
attempts to access the depository interior.
In other exemplary arrangements seismic sensors may be included in
depositories for purposes of detecting
circumstances under which a depository may be moved or may be subject to
impacts for purposes of attempting to
steal or breach the depository. Still in other exemplary arrangements, sensors
may be provided in or adjacent to the
depository for purposes of determining external conditions such as fire,
smoke, heat, flood or other conditions which
are problematic to the operation of the depository unit. Of course these
conditions which may be monitored and
analyzed are exemplary, and in other embodiments other conditions may be
detected and approaches may be used.
In exemplary arrangements the control circuitry associated with the depository
may operate to analyze
signals or conditions, and send messages to notify the central system
circuitry of the particular condition. In some
exemplary arrangements the depository control circuitry may be configured to
operate so that detection of the
condition may be automatically notified to the central system circuitry as
soon as it is detected. This may include
categories of urgent conditions such as circumstances which correspond to
criminal attacks that attempt to access the
interior of the depository. In other circumstances data corresponding to other
less urgent conditions may be stored
as status data in one or more data stores associated with the depository
control circuitry. Such status condition
information may be sent individually or in combination with other status
information to the central system circuitry
when the depository is polled or otherwise requested to submit status data. Of
course these approaches are
exemplary and in other embodiments other approaches may be used.
In some exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry may be operative
to include data
corresponding to acceptable operating parameters and ranges for the operation
of components included in
depositories. Such stored data may correspond to a model, template or other
arrangement of information that
provides suitable ranges for detected readings, parameters or conditions when
a depository is operating properly. In
exemplary arrangements communications between the central system circuitry and
the control circuitry of each
depository may be operative to determine the information from the depository
necessary to compare the status
information associated with the depository to the stored data. The central
circuitry may operate in accordance with
its programmed instructions to identify anomalies or irregularities in the
data from the depository and to determine
the condition or conditions indicated by this data. Further in exemplary
arrangements the central circuitry may be
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operative to identify the remedial actions that are necessary in response to
the data that is received from a
depository.
In exemplary arrangements in response to determining abnormal conditions,
problems, malfunctions or
developing conditions at a depository, the central system circuitry may
operate in accordance with its programmed
circuit instructions to take programmed actions in response to such
determinations. Such programmed actions may
include for example, sending one or more messages to other systems to indicate
the need for repair, servicing or
other actions associated with the particular depository. In other
circumstances such actions may include notifying
appropriate authorities of the condition at a depository. For example if the
detected condition includes an attempted
theft, breach of the depository or fire condition, the central system
circuitry may operate to notify appropriate police
or fire authorities in the area where the depository is located. In other
circumstances the central system circuitry
may operate in accordance with its programming to communicate with other
systems to schedule a service call or
other remedial or preventive maintenance at the particular depository to
correct conditions and/or to replace parts
that may be reaching the predicted end of useful life. Of course these
approaches are exemplary and in other
embodiments other approaches may be used.
In still other exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry may be
operative to communicate with
the depository to attempt remote correction of problematic conditions which
are detected. For example, in
circumstances where the depository or device included therein may not be
operating in a proper manner, the
exemplary system may operate to download to the control circuitry of the
depository, circuit executable instructions
that may correct or reduce the effect of the problem. This may include for
example, downloading to the control
circuitry of the depository a substitute script to be executed by the control
circuitry for purposes of controlling a
particular device. The central system may cause the download of instructions
that cause the control circuitry of the
depository to execute the substitute script and report the results to the
central system. The results reported may
indicate further steps that can be taken by the central system through
detecting signals from the control circuitry and
downloading further scripts or other instructions for purposes of remotely
determining the problem and/or making
corrections. In other arrangements the central system may operate to cause the
control circuitry of a depository or
devices connected thereto to reboot or otherwise initialize in an attempt to
address problems or correct anomalies.
Of course it should be understood that these approaches are exemplary and in
other embodiments numerous other
approaches may be used.
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As illustrated in Figure 35 there is provided an exemplary parcel transaction
monitor 3501, for a monitored-
access parcel depository, which is alternatively referred to herein as a
repository or a lock box. Deposit items and
delivery items are alternatively referred to herein as parcels or packages.
The exemplary repository (not shown),
includes control circuitry including at least one controller 3502 with
sensor/actuator arrays 3503 and 3504
.. respectively. The control circuitry is operable to monitor parcel
transactions for at least one of parcel delivery or
parcel extraction transactions in relation to said repository, and providing
for at least one of:
= An incipient transaction detection module 3505 for prospectively
detecting an incipient parcel
transaction in relation to the repository of an at least one of a possible
parcel for delivery transaction, or a possible
parcel carrier intent on a repository parcel transaction;
= A parcel transaction characterization module 3506 for differentially
characterizing a parcel
transaction; or,
= A parcel-inventory and transaction-recording module 3507 for sensing a
change in repository
parcel inventory resulting from a repository parcel transaction.
These exemplary modules are adapted to variously employ elements and functions
of said controller and
array for the respective operations thereof, and the elements and functions of
the controller and array may be
variously shared between the modules in the execution of their respective
operations.
An incipient transaction detection module 3505 is comprised of a controller
3502 and sensor/actuator
arrays 3504/3503 for use with a controlled-access parcel repository which
includes at least one sensor for detecting
proximity (which may involve physical contact with the repository or something
more distant) of a possible parcel
for delivery or a possible parcel carrier intent on a repository parcel
transaction.
By way of example, this module may employ for this purpose, the controller
with one or combinations of
sensors/actuators of said array, including:
= Accelerometers, or similar repository movement or contact detectors,
(e.g. even something as
simple as a contact switch ¨ such as a button or a keyboard, or the operation
of a parcel repository access door or
chute);
= Ultrasonic, photoelectric, infra-red, exogenous motion or presence
detectors; or,
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
= Proximity or estimated time of arrival by radio-frequency ¨ e.g. by
tracking a parcel or its carrier
location using a GPS signal through a smart phone or other communications
device (geo fencing, geo location etc.),
or more locally by detecting an RFID or NFC device signal, a Bluetooth device
or the like.
The proximity detection module may, on detection of such proximity, and
presupposing thereby a possible
parcel for delivery or a possible parcel carrier intent on a repository parcel
transaction, be operable to further actuate
one or both of the other modules. Accordingly, in aspects of exemplary
arrangements the incipient transaction
detection module may further operate an at least one actuator for:
= actuating a parcel transaction characterization module of said controlled-
access parcel repository
for differentially characterizing a parcel transaction.
= actuating a parcel-inventory and transaction-recording module for
sensing a change in repository
parcel inventory resulting from a repository parcel transaction.
In this way the transaction detection module may power-up other repository
modules which may have been
turned off or in a hibernating mode in the absence of a prospective parcel
transaction (as a power conservation
measure or to prepare such modules for use, in order to expedite the impending
parcel transaction).
In an aspect of an exemplary arrangement a parcel transaction characterization
module is comprised of a
controller and sensor/actuator array for use with a controlled-access parcel
repository, and including at least one
automated sensor operable to facilitate at least one of package or item
carrier identification sensing of a
corresponding at least one of a possible package or possible carrier
presenting at said repository, wherein said
module differentiates sensed identification sensor input thereof to
correspondingly:
= facilitate an impending pre-authorized transaction corresponding to said
identification; or,
= call for a real-time ad hoc user-mediated authorization for an impending
transaction, and facilitate a
call-responsive ad hoc user-mediated authorization for said impending
transaction; or,
= decline (by default, in the absence of at least one of the two above
mentioned "authorizations" to
actively facilitate an otherwise unauthorized impending transaction).
Sensed identification sensor may be a controller and array associated camera
(which may include a facial
recognition facility) or scanner (e.g. bar code, or QR code or the like), a
voice or other acoustic input recognition
sensor, an RFID, Bluetooth or other parcel transaction identifier for input
into said module to differentiate between
and selectively facilitate the above operations.
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In the instance of an impending pre-authorized transaction corresponding to
said sensed identification
input, this module may employ a controller/array associated communications
module 3508 to signal specifics of the
impending transaction to, for example, the repositories owner/user and/or the
parcel carrier or carrier service.
In calling for a real-time ad hoc user-mediated authorization for an impending
transaction the parcel
.. transaction characterization module may actuate a communications module
(which the controller includes or
provides access to), to contact a user with a request for authorization of the
impending parcel transaction ¨ and
subject to a user's authorizing response thereto, to facilitate the impending
transaction as an authorized one.
In an instance of an identified pre-authorized transaction, or an instance
wherein a real-time ad hoc user-
mediated authorization is received in response to a call, the parcel
transaction characterization module may signal a
latching actuator, as elaborated below in relation to an accessibility control
according to an aspect of an exemplary
arrangement.
Where the module operates otherwise than in facilitating an authorized
transaction, it may be operable to
notify a user (e.g. through said communications module) of an unauthorized
characterization status of the presumed
parcel transaction.
In another aspect of an exemplary arrangement there is provided a parcel-
inventory and transaction-
recording module, for use with a controlled-access parcel repository including
an at least one sensor for sensing a
change in package inventory resulting from a repository parcel transaction.
Parcel sizes may be employed (scanned or otherwise sensed as for example by
photo-detectors adapted to
detect the presence of parcels through interruption of a light beam), or
recorded images of the parcels may be stored
for these purposes, but an exemplary operation senses parcel weights, by way
of a weight (e.g. load) sensor that
measures the accumulated parcel weight secured within the interior of the
repository. The load or other inventory
sensor communicates with a controller-associated memory to log changes in the
sensed weight in association with
changes in the parcel inventory. In an exemplary arrangement, such a memory
correlates parcel transaction
identifications with the particular weight change (and time for embodiments
where the controller includes a clock
.. facility for such a purpose) associated with the sensed change in the
repository's parcel inventory.
In an exemplary arrangement, there is provided an accessibility control, for a
controlled-access parcel
repository, and comprised of at least one controller with a sensor/actuator
array operable to selectively control
access to said parcel repository, and comprised of at least one controller
with a sensor/actuator array operable to
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
facilitate controlled-access parcel transactions for at least one of parcel
delivery or parcel extraction transactions in
relation to said repository, and providing a parcel transaction
characterization module for facilitating selective
locking and unlocking operations of a repository lock actuator, in association
with authorized parcel transactions
characterized by said parcel transaction characterization module. A latching
mechanism may be operated by an
actuator through the controller operation by the parcel transaction
characterization module.
The accessibility control may be used in association with any controlled
access repository, including by
way of example only, a building's vestibule, a parcel through-wall passage
portal, a garage door, a storage shed, a
chest or lock box or other such providing restricted access to an interior
space serving to secure parcels reposing
therein. Repositories of exemplary arrangements may, in addition to a secured
access thereto, may also provide an
unsecured access for facilitating parcel deliveries ¨ see for example the
provision of a one-way chute in the
repository embodiment depicted in Figures 36 through 39, which may provide for
delivery of parcels
notwithstanding the authorization status associated with any given delivery.
In such cases, the accessibility control
may be used to selectively facilitate authorized access to restricted areas of
the repository in question.
The accessibility control herein may further provide for at least one of the
incipient transaction detection
module or the parcel-inventory and transaction-recording modules mentioned
elsewhere herein.
In general, including in conjunction with modules 3505 ¨ 3507, communications
module 3508 may be
operated through controller 3505 to communicate sensor-related signals to
parties variously involved in a parcel
transaction; and to receive authorization and to control signals from such
parties, to operate actuators associated with
actuator array 3504. Cellular, Wi-Fi, land line, internet, or other
communications channels may be employed in this
connection. Other exemplary aspects of the controller and array features
relating to an exemplary arrangement are
disclosed in relation to the embodiments of Figures 40 through 44 described
elsewhere herein.
Referring now also to Figures 36 through 39 there is illustrated various views
of an example of a parcel
repository related to aspects of exemplary arrangements.
In accordance with an aspect of an exemplary arrangement, there is provided a
parcel repository
comprising a free-standing parcel repository 3601, defining an enclosure
comprised, in part, by a top panel 3602a
adapted to cooperate with the enclosure's sides, back and bottom panel
assembly 3602b, and a molded cabinet face
frame 3602c.
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This repository includes a one-way delivery chute 3603, providing an access
portal for introduction and
passage of a parcel delivery into said repository, but further including a
gate for interfering with removal through
that chute, of parcels secured within a secured storage bay portion of the
repository. External portions of the chute
which will be considered a door for purposes of this disclosure, include a
delivery chute front panel 3603a, and a
hinge 3603b for facilitating opening and closing of the panel as well as
operation of the chute 3603 more generally.
This repository further includes a selectively securable (e.g.
locked/unlocked) parcel storage bay 3604
having a hinged storage bay door hinge 3604a and a corresponding hinge 3604b
to facilitate the opening and closing
thereof. Storage bay 3604 corresponds to an interior area of the repository.
Hinges 3603b and 3604b are mounted on respective portions of a frame portion
of the cabinet face 3602c.
This repository arrangement (by way of example) provides for two delivery
modalities: one facilitated
through one-way delivery chute 3603; and the other directly into storage bay
3604 through selectively secured
hinged door 3604a. However, of these two distinct delivery modalities, only
the hinged door 3604a is adapted to
facilitate withdrawal of parcels from the storage bay 3604. This arrangement
flexibly facilitates parcel deliveries to
be made without necessarily requiring any particular pre-authorization or real-
time authorization, but necessitates
authorized access to storage bay 3604 in order to remove delivered parcels
from the secured storage bay 3604.
Repository 3601 also provides for an inner-delivery chute front interior panel
3603c for supporting parcels
for delivery during parcel introduction through delivery chute 3603 on its way
into storage bay 3604. Chute 3603 is
opened for a delivery transaction, by drawing a recessed handle 3603i forward
and downwardly, rotating front panel
3603a and attached front interior panel 3603c outwardly together, around hinge
3603b. Pivot anchors 3603f
(secured to front interior panel 3603c), in turn draw outwardly and downwardly
through pivot pins 3603k, pulling
tray 3603h to rotate by the pivot pins 3603k which are connected to connecting
arms 3603e to anchor 3603j on the
tray. Tray 3603h rotates in response to this action, around tray pivots 3603g
that connect tray 3603h to enclosure
side and back and bottom panel assembly 3602b ¨ and into a position that
provides a generally coplanar delivery
chute surface alignment with front interior panel 3603c. That co-planar
alignment facilitates the transfer of a parcel
from the panel 3603c onto the receiving surface 3603d of tray 3603h.
With a parcel positioned on the receiving surface 3603d of tray 3603h, the
return of front panel 3603a
towards its upright and ultimately re-closed position, rotates tray 3603h from
the coplanar alignment mentioned
above, into an inclined orientation, which induces the parcel to slide along
and ultimately off of supporting tray
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
3603h, to release the parcel into the repository's interior area, where
delivered parcels accumulate in storage bay
3604, in supported relation on parcel repository bay floor 3608.
In the illustrated embodiment, parcel delivery transactions made through the
chute are not restricted by the
operation of the accessibility control.
Parcel bay floor 3608 is connected with a load sensor 3607, which is operable
to sense increases/decreases
in the accumulated weight of delivered parcels stored within storage bay 3604
on bay floor 3608, as parcels are
added by delivery transactions, or removed during pickup transactions to and
from repository 3601.
Controller 3609 is connected to an array of sensors and actuators, including
latch actuator 3604c an
acoustic transducer 3610, an on-board camera/scanner (not shown), and load
sensor 3607. Controller 3609 also
includes a power management connection for selectively powering the repository
operations using a utility line
voltage source (not shown) or battery power from battery 3606, or other power
sources (not shown, but including by
way of example, solar panels). The exemplary controller 3609 is also in
operative connection with a wireless
antenna 3605 to provide wireless communications.
The on-board camera provides for video and/or still pictures, as well as for
bar-code/QR-code scan sensing.
The acoustic transducer 3610 provides for audio signaling, and optionally for
audio pick-up (sound sensing). Load
sensor 3607 senses weight changes reflecting changes in parcel inventory
secured within repository 3601 interior
area ¨ and may further associate weight changes with particular parcel
transactions. Latch actuator 3604c facilitates
locking and unlocking operations of door 3604a to provide selective access to
storage bay 3604.
Referring now to Figures 40 through 44, there are illustrated examples of
aspects of exemplary
arrangements relating to a delivery lock box (i.e. repository) controller (or
controller module) for operating a
delivery lock box, and comprises a controller operable for controlling lock
box peripherals of arrays thereof to
provide discrete modular functionalities variously related to unattended-
delivery lock box convenience as well as
operational and forensic security, but more particularly to providing
combinations of modular functions variously
cooperating for providing augmented, and in some embodiments, real-time remote
user interface access for such
operational/forensic security. In accordance with an exemplary arrangement
there is provided discrete modular
functionalities variously related to unattended-delivery lock box convenience
as well as operational and forensic
security, as well as providing combinations of modular functions cooperating
variously for providing augmented,
and in some embodiments, real-time remote user interface access for such
operational/forensic security. More
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
particularly, exemplary arrangements include a (e.g. package) delivery lock
box controller module for operating a
delivery lock box having a controller operable for controlling lock box
peripherals including one or more of: a lock
box communications module; a camera and image recording module; a proximity
detection sensor module; a lock
box motion/shock detection sensor module; and/or a remote lock actuator
module.
The lock box communications module is adapted to facilitate RF (radio
frequency) communication of lock
box peripherals data to a lock box user, and may additionally variously
facilitate lock box peripheral control by the
user.
The camera and image recording module is adapted to be selectively operable
for pre-determinedly
capturing and recording at least one image of at least a portion of the lock
boxes surroundings. In an aspect of the
present arrangement, the camera may also serve a scanner/reader function.
The proximity detection sensor module may serve in the detection of a
triggering presence within a range
proximal to the lock box and signaling (buzzer or other acoustical device, or
RF e.g. through the lock box
communications module) a proximity notification of such presence.
The lock box motion/shock detection sensor module, operable for detecting a
triggering lock box motion or
shock and signaling (buzzer or other acoustic or illumination device, or RF
signaling e.g. through the lock box
communications module) a motion/shock detection notification.
The remote lock actuator module is operable by an authorized remote user to
operate the lock actuator
module's lock actuator.
A controller module in the context of exemplary arrangements can be, for
example, a chip, an expansion
card, or a stand-alone device that interfaces with one or more peripheral
devices. Preferably, the controller module
comprises a single board implementation comprising a central processing unit
(processor) that processes data,
memory that holds the programs and data to be processed (although memory may
alternatively be located off-
board), and I/O (input/output) devices as interfaces that communicate with
diverse peripheral devices.
Figure 40 schematically depicts an embodiment of a control module 4001
according to an exemplary
arrangement, comprising a printed circuit board 4002, a processor 4003, a
memory 4004, an I/O processor interface
4005, and on-board I/O devices 4006 and I/O pin socket 4007 for connection to
off-board I/O devices (not shown).
In accordance with the exemplary arrangement, computer buses of one form or
another facilitate data
transactions between the processor, memory and these peripherals.
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Referring now to Figure 41, a block schematic representation is provided to
illustrate a generalized
relationship between processor 4003, memory 4004, and a plurality of interface
devices 4005a, 4005b and 4005c
associated with respective peripherals 4007a, 4007b and 4007c. Memory bus
4008, address bus 4009 and control
bus 4010 are also illustrated in an intermediary relationship with the
processor 4003 and the interface devices 4005a-
c.
The control bus is used by the processor for communicating with other devices,
while the address bus
carries the information about the device with which the processor is
communicating and the data bus carries the
actual data being processed, and the control bus carries commands from the
processor and returns status signals
from the devices. Where an address bus is used to specify a physical address ¨
such that when a processor or direct
memory access (DMA) enabled device needs to read or write to a memory
location, the address bus specifies that
memory location on the address bus, but the data value to be read or written
to or from that address, is sent on the
data bus. The memory bus typically connects the main memory to the memory
controller and is often designed to
connect directly to DRAM chips.
Referring now to Figure 42 there is depicted a function block diagram
depicting processor 4003
interactions with interface 4005, through the data bus 4008, the address bus
4009, and in the case of the control bus
4010 as I/O read and I/O write transactions 4010a and 4010b, respectively.
Interface 4005 in turn, transacts with I/O
devices such as devices 4006 or peripherals 4007a-c, through an I/O bus 4011
including data validation and
acceptance transactions 4012 and 4013, respectively.
Referring now to Figure 43, an exemplary embodiment of the controller module
is illustrated. A main
controller board 4002a, includes a general purpose I/O pin socket 4007,
servicing: door lock/position sensors 4007d,
for lock and door position sensors associated with a delivery lock box locker
door(s); internal lighting control 4007e;
external proximity sensor(s) 4007f; and, a motion detector (accelerometer)
4007g.
Controller board 4002a further includes a PWM (pulse width modulation) output
4014 for controlling
analog circuits with a microprocessor's digital outputs ¨ in this instance, a
transaction interaction buzzer 4007h and a
theft alarm 4007i.
Also provided on controller board 4002a, is a DSPI serial interface connection
4015 which is a fully
configurable SPI master/slave device, facilitating the microcontroller's
communication with serial peripheral
devices ¨ in this case an SD memory card 4019.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
Controller board 4002a also provides for a universal asynchronous
receiver/transmitter (UART) to serial
peripheral interface (SPI) interface connection 4016, which is used for
communication between SPI slave devices
(from a processor) and a UART port ¨ in this instance providing for a Wi-
Fi/Bluetooth radio peripheral 4020.
MIPI/USB interface connector 4017 enables USB connectivity to any image sensor
which is compliant
.. with Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Camera Serial Interface
standard ¨ connected in this case to
camera/jpeg encoder 4021.
Controller board 4002a also supports an i.MX6 processor 4018. Processor 4018
facilitates high-
performance scalable multimedia processing, and includes integrated power
management based on an ARM Cortex-
A9 processor supporting HD 1080p encode and decode operation and having
integrated I/O for MIPI CSI-2 camera,
Gigabit Ethernet, multiple USB and PCI I/O. Power management is facilitated in
conjunction with processor 4018,
by way of power controller 4022, to control a hybrid power system based on
solar cells 4023 and lithium batteries
4024.
Referring now to Figure 44, an alternative embodiment depicting a controller
board housing 4051, housing
a controller board 4051a. Controller board 4051a can be designed to support a
generic application processor,
.. however, processor 4052 in this depicted embodiment is a PICO-IMX6
including an ARM Cortex-A9 NXP i.MX6,
Small Footprint, System-on-Module (SoM) having Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth v.
4.1 communication interfaces
providing a compact form factor optimized for free-standing applications with
IoT connectedness. Alternative
embodiments may employ other processors, such as ARM core processors, or ARM
Cortex processors, such as for
example, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410e which is an ARM Cortex A53 processor.
Processor 4052 provides FC bus connections 4053, 4054 and 4055. The PC bus is
a serial, half-duplex -
PC (Inter-Integrated Circuit), synchronous, multi-master, multi-slave, packet
switched, single-ended, serial
computer bus for attaching lower-speed peripheral ICs to processors and
microcontrollers in short-distance, intra-
board communications.
Connection 4053 is connected to GPIO expanders 4053a which are TCA5416A I/O
expanders for the two-
line bidirectional (FC) bus and are designed to provide general remote I/O
expansion through the FC interface.
Expanders 4053a are in turn connected to a Bluetooth Wi-Fi pairing button
4043b; an FET switch 4053c which is
adapted to be connected through enclosure 4051 to a connector 405 lb and
corresponding delivery lock box
connector 4051c, to delivery lock box external LED lights 4053e; an FET switch
4053d which is adapted to be
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
connected through connectors 405 lb and 4051c, to delivery lock box door locks
actuators 4053f; and through
connectors 4051b and 40451c to delivery lock box open door sensors (door
"open" contact) 4053g. Connector
4053h connects to delivery lock box internal LED lighting, and is co-operable
with sensors 4053g.
Connection 4054 supports both an accelerometer 4054a and a motion detection
module 4054b.
Accelerometer 4054a is provided by an LSM303 breakout board which combines a
magnetometer/compass
module with a triple-axis accelerometer in a compact navigation subsystem, and
its two pin FC interface can be
shared by other FC devices, in this case including module 4054b.
Motion detection module 4054b provides a motion sensor connection using an
LTC2451 16-bit, analog-to-
digital converter which also communicates through the FC interface 4054. It
includes an integrated oscillator that
does not require any external components and employs a delta-sigma modulator
as a converter core and provides
single-cycle settling time for multiplexed applications. The LTC2451 includes
an input sampling scheme that
reduces the average input sampling current several orders of magnitude lower
than conventional AL converters. The
LTC2451 is capable of up to 60 conversions per second and, due to the very
large oversampling ratio, has extremely
relaxed antialiasing requirements. It connects through pin connector 4054c to
motion sensor 4054d.
Connection 4055 connects processor 4052 to a separate, delivery lock box fuel
gauge circuit board 4055a
carrying an LTC2943 module which measures battery charge state, battery
voltage, battery current for battery bank
4055b, as well as its own temperature in standalone applications. A precision
coulomb counter integrates current
through a sensing resistor between the battery's positive terminal and the
load or charger. Voltage, current and
temperature are measured with an internal 14-bit No Latency AYTM ADC and the
measurements are stored in
internal registers accessible via the onboard FC/SMBus Interface. The LTC2943
is programmable for setting high
and low thresholds for all four measured quantities. If a programmed threshold
is exceeded, the device
communicates an alert by setting a flag in the internal status register. The
LTC2943 requires only a single low value
sensing resistor to set the measured current range.
Processor 4052 further includes a PWM (pulse width modulation) output 4056 for
controlling analog
circuits with a microprocessor's digital outputs ¨ in this instance, a buzzer
speaker or other audio transducer 4056a.
An SD card connector 4057 and a Wi-Fi Bluetooth connector 4058 are also
provided. Bluetooth connector 4058 is
connected to an active antenna power module 4058a. Connector 4058b provides
for the connection of a Wi-
Fi/Bluetooth antenna.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
The SD card connector 4057 is interconnected with an SD card slot 4057a,
mounted on controller board
4051a. An SD card (Secure Digital Card), not shown, is inserted into slot
4057a to provide reliable data storage in a
small form factor for, inter alia, digital camera images, etc. SD cards
contain an internal controller interface that
handles all internal flash memory operations and data transfer between the
processor 4052 and the card is done in
512 byte block, clock serial mode ¨ using a selected one of two bus protocols
defined for SD cards, (the default
native SD mode or a slower SPI mode).
Processor 4052 also provides for a UART connection 4059, communicating with a
Debug TTL UART
4059a.
GPIO connection 4060 on processor 4052, supports an LT3651 automatic lithium
ion battery charger
circuit 4060a which functions as a solar charge controller (in conjunction
with power supply module 4060b), charge
regulator and battery regulator to limit the rate at which electric current is
added to or drawn from battery bank
4055b electric batteries. Circuit 4060a prevents overcharging and may protect
against overvoltage, which can reduce
battery performance or lifespan, and may pose a safety risk. It may also
prevent completely draining ("deep
discharging") a battery, or perform controlled discharges, depending on the
battery technology, to protect battery
.. life. Connector 4060c provides for the connection of solar panels or
external DC power supplies.
Processor 4052 provides a camera Serial Interface (CSI) 4061 conforming to
MIPI Alliance specifications
that provide for an interface between a camera and host processor 4052.
Interface 4061 connects to a MIPI
connection 4061a which in turn is connected to an 0V5645 high performance, 5-
megapixel system-on-chip (SOC)
406 lb. This sensor's single MIPI port replaces both a bandwidth-limited DVP
interface and a costly embedded
JPEG compressor, with attendant savings on silicon footprint and cost.
USB host connector 4062 connects to a USB to SATA bridge 4062a. Bridge 4062a
is a TU5B9261
ARM Cortex M3 microcontroller based USB 3.0 to serial ATA bridge. It
provides the necessary hardware and
firmware to implement a USB attached SCSI protocol (UASP)-compliant mass
storage device suitable for bridging
hard disk drives (HDD), solid state disk drives (SSD), optical drives, and
other compatible SATA 1.5-Gbps or
SATA 3.0-Gbps devices to a USB 3.0 bus. Bridge 4062a connects in turn to
SATA/PWR connector 4062b.
Serial Peripheral Interface bus (SPI) is a synchronous serial communication
interface 4063a for connecting
to an analog to digital converter 4063a. Converter 4063a is an ADS1148 device
providing 16-bit analog-to-digital
converter that includes many integrated features to reduce system cost and
component count for sensor measurement
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
applications ¨ including a low-noise, programmable gain amplifier (PGA), a
precision delta-sigma (AY) ADC with a
single-cycle settling digital filter, and an internal oscillator and a built-
in, low-drift voltage reference, and two
matched programmable excitation current sources (IDACs).
GPIO interface 4064 connects though FET switches 4064a to control LED lights
connected through
connectors 4053e and 4053h.
Referring now to the drawings in general: One aspect of an exemplary
arrangement provides for a delivery
lock box controller module, housed for example in a housing 4051, and adapted
for operating a delivery lock box
(not shown). This aspect of the exemplary arrangement comprises a controller
(such as controller board 4051a and
processor 4052), that is operable for controlling lock box peripherals. In
particular, the module according to this
.. aspect of the exemplary arrangement provides for a remote lock actuator
module that is operable by an authorized
remote user. The remote lock actuator module comprises processor 4052 and FC
bus connection 4053, GPIO
expanders 4053a, FET switch 4053d and enclosure connector 405 lb. With
enclosure connector 405 lb engaged with
delivery lock box connector 4051c, processor 4052 may be instructed by an
authorized user, to operate lock box
door lock actuators 4053f to in turn permit access to the lock box interior
and thereby facilitate introduction or
.. removal of lock box contents. Preferably, the operation of the lock box
door lock actuators 4053f is attended by the
operation of lock box external LED lights 4053e by processor 4052 acting
across the connection of connectors
405 lb and 4051c, and by way of FET switch 4053c, GPIO expanders 4053a and FC
bus connection 4053 of
processor 4052. This arrangement can draw a delivery agent's attention to the
lock box and aid in the delivery
agent's completion of the user-authorized lock box transaction. This can be
important since it is often desirable for
the lock box installation to be discretely placed, and/or to have it fit
unobtrusively into the local decor. Note too,
however, that external LED lights 4053e can be operated by processor 4052
independently of the operation of door
lock actuators 4053f. This facility for independent operation of external LED
lights 4053e permits them to be used
simply as a local source of augmented lighting; or as a flashing light source
in the case of an emergency or security
threat without occasioning the concurrent release of the locks. Moreover lock
box internal LED operation through
connector 4053h is also independent of the operation of external LED lights
4053e, and operate instead in
cooperation with open door sensor 4053g with its connections through
connectors 405 lb and 4051c, GPIO
expanders 4053a, FC bus connections 4053 to processor 4052. This represents a
power saving in circumstances
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
where illumination of the lock box interior is not required and is an
important consideration for lock box
installations that function without recourse to the electrical grid.
The lock box controller module comprising controller board 4051a and processor
4052 may make
provision for a camera and image recording module ¨ as for example by way of
camera 4046 lb, MIPI interface
4061a, and camera serial interface 4061. This arrangement is preferably
selectively operable to (optionally pre-
determinedly) capture and record at least one image of at least a portion of
said lock boxes surroundings. The
recording may be captured using an off-board storage drive, using USB host
connector 4062, USB to SATA bridge
4062a, and USB host connector 4062b, under the direction of processor 4052.
Alternatively, the recording may be
captured on an SD card (not shown) using SD card connector 4057 and SSD card
slot 4057a. An authorized user
may trigger processor 4052 to activate the camera and/or the recorder to
selectively capture images. In one
embodiment processor 4052 operates camera 4061b more or less continuously, and
records captured images on a
memory device as mentioned above, but in a short term first-in-first out over-
writing buffer file. Subject then to the
occurrence of a pre-determined triggering event, the buffer file is
transferred to an archive file, preserving images
recorded in advance of the triggering event and appending recordings of images
subsequently captured and recorded
to the archive file, for a predetermined time or condition. Thereafter, the
camera 406 lb reverts to said more or less
continuous operation and recording later images into the over-write buffer as
aforesaid.
The lock box controller module comprising controller board 4051a and processor
4052 may also make
provision for a proximity detection sensor module comprising motion sensor
4054d, pin connector 4054c, motion
detection module 4054b and FC bus connection 4054 for detecting a triggering
presence within a range proximal to
the lock box, and signaling (e.g. by but not limited to a buzzer or other
acoustical device, or flashing external LEDs
as mentioned above), a proximity notification of such presence. This signaling
may aid in directing legitimate
approaches to the lock box, or deter illegitimate interest, and in either
case, place the authorized user on alert to the
motion in proximity to the lock box.
Similarly, the lock box controller module comprising controller board 4051a
and processor 4052 may also
make provision, through accelerometer 4054a and FC bus connection 4054, for a
lock box motion/shock detection
sensor module, operable for detecting a triggering lock box motion or shock
and signaling (again, for example, via
buzzer or other acoustic or illumination device) a motion/shock detection
notification to the user. Preferably, this
notification is of a loud and insistent character that will assertively deter
any attendant theft attempt or vandalism.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
In an exemplary embodiment, the controller board 4051a and processor 4052
provide for a lock box
communications module, in this case by way of a System-on-Module (SoM) having
built in Wi-Fi 802.11ac and
Bluetooth v. 4.1 radios and communication interfaces providing a compact form
factor optimized for five-standing
applications with local RF networks as well as providing for IoT (internet of
things) connectedness. Processor 4052
.. is thereby adapted to facilitate RF communication of lock box peripherals
data to a lock box user ¨ using in this
particular case, SPI connector 4063, A/D converter 4063a as well as Bluetooth
connector 4058 and active antenna
power module 4058a with its connections through connectors 405 lb and 4051c to
antenna 4058b. In operation,
control module 4001 with a communications module (e.g., associated with
processor 4052 as per the above)
comprises a lock box Bluetooth/Wi-Fi communications module which provides for
Bluetooth-mediated
configuration of Wi-Fi network connections between the lock box communications
module and an available (e.g.,
local) user-selected Wi-Fi network. More particularly, the Bluetooth facility
may be operable to link with a user
phone and in turn enable a user phone to connect/configure the lockbox to a
user selected local Wi-Fi network.
Controller module 4001 may also be operable such that a "proximity
notification" includes remotely
communicating a "detected presence" to a user's communication device (or some
other user proxy), through the
communications module. (Note that in general, communications to the user
device are typically mediated via Wi-Fi
or other local RF networks as well as through cellular, internet, landlines,
microwave and all the various
modems/gateways or the like that may be variously associated with those
networks). In an exemplary embodiment,
for example, the control module 4001 further comprises a cellular data modem
(not shown) operable to provide an
alternative user notification to a user in the event that Wi-Fi functionality
is not used or not available for this
purpose.
Similarly, controller module 4001 may be operable to convey motion/shock
detection notifications by
remotely communicating a detected motion/shock notification to a user's
communication device, substantially as
described in the preceding paragraph.
The operation of the exemplary camera and image recording module is
selectively predetermined to
provide continuous operation and recording and this is facilitated by one or
both of an on-board recording storage or
to Wi-Fi connected storage. (Either or both such storage facilities can be
FIFO (first-in-first out) over write in order
to facilitate currency of recordings in the absence of unlimited storage
capacity). Controller module 4001 may also
be employed such that the camera and image recording module is additionally or
alternatively selectively
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
predetermined to be intermittently operated ¨ subject, for example, to a
detected-event-triggered operation. In one
exemplary arrangement for example, controller module 4001 may be operable such
that a proximity notification
comprises triggering the camera and image recording module to record and/or
communicate to a user's
communication device (or user proxy), that at least one image associated with
the proximity notification. Similarly,
the control module 4001 may be operated such that the motion/shock detection
notification comprises triggering said
camera and image recording module to record and/or communicate to a user's
communication device (or user
proxy), of an at least one image associated with the motion/shock detection.
In an exemplary arrangement, the
intermittent operation of the camera and image recording module is coextensive
with ongoing detection of a
detected trigger event.
In exemplary embodiments where the control module 4001 operates image storage
as a first-in-first out
overwrite storage buffer, the camera and image recording module is further
operable in response to a detected
trigger event, to save the associated at least one image from the first-in-
first out overwrite storage buffer to a long
term storage archival location, and preferably so that when a detected trigger
event so operates the camera and
image recording module, that module saves associated images from the buffer,
beginning from a predetermined time
.. preceding detection of the detected event. Moreover, in an exemplary
arrangement when a detected trigger event so
operates the camera and image recording module, it is operated so as to save
associated images for a predetermined
time following termination of detection of the detected event.
In the depicted exemplary embodiment control module 4001 is further operable
to manage a hybrid power
source power supply module 4060b provided from a primary power source selected
from at least one of a solar
.. power source and a line power source; and, a secondary battery power
reserve source (battery bank supply 4055b),
with the hybrid power source being operable to variously power the delivery
lock box operations, and employs
delivery box fuel gauge circuit board 4055a in that connection. The control
module 4001 also operates power
supply module 4060b, using battery charger circuit 4060a to charge the
secondary (battery bank 4055b) source from
the primary source(s).
The control module 4001 may further comprise a cellular data modem to provide
an alternative user
notification to a user, (collateral with Wi-Fi functions, or as an alternative
if Wi-Fi is not available).
In an aspect of an exemplary arrangement, there is also provided a weigh scale
peripheral connection 4066.
The connection to processor 4052 can be variously facilitated ¨ e.g., through
a general input output interface. The
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
weigh scale peripheral may be used to signal the arrival/presence of a package
within a repository enclosure ¨ and
also in conjunction with the parcel inventory module, to track arrival and
withdrawal of one or more parcels from
the parcel inventory secured within the repository.
Figures 45 ¨ 48 show an alternative arrangement of a delivery item repository
670. Repository 670 is
.. configured to be utilized in a system which includes a plurality of
repositories of the same or similar configuration,
such as one of the repository configurations previously discussed herein. The
exemplary system is usable to
transport delivery items which are also referred to as parcels, from a
respective originating repository to a respective
destination repository so as to achieve transport of the parcel from one
geographic location to another. Exemplary
arrangements may facilitate small-scale parcel delivery operations in which
item carriers exchange parcels through
.. controlled transfers which occur through intermediate destination
repositories under the control of one or more
servers or other central system circuitry in a manner like that previously
discussed.
The exemplary systems facilitate the use of crowd sourced item carrier
participation. Such item carriers
may operate to transport parcels between originating repositories and
destination repositories. In other exemplary
arrangements item carriers may further operate to carry out pickup and
delivery activities at points of parcel
shipment origination or endpoints of parcel transport that do not include
repositories. Exemplary arrangements may
provide for a parcel delivery system which is configured to transport parcels
that are provided from and delivered to
diverse locations and at different times by a plurality of different shipper
and recipient system user types.
In exemplary arrangements the system may include a plurality of geographically
dispersed repositories
such as repository 670. Repository 670 includes a body having a plurality of
separated compartment interior areas
each of which bound a respective enclosed compartment space (alternatively
referred to herein as a compartment)
that is suitable for holding one or more parcels. Each of the compartment
interior areas has a respective opening that
is selectively accessible by authorized users who are enabled to unlock
compartment associated locks and open
closure members such as respective doors that are movable to provide access to
respective compartment interior
areas. Each respective repository may be operated as an originating repository
as well as an intermediate or final
destination repository. Thus the exemplary system provides for a fully
connected physical topography of
repositories.
In exemplary arrangements each of the plurality of repositories is in
operative connection with central
system circuitry like that previously discussed which is alternatively
referred to herein as control circuitry. The
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
exemplary central system circuitry operates as a control grid to manage item
carrier authorizations and assignments.
The central system circuitry also performs monitoring of the pickups of
parcels from originating repositories and the
delivery of parcels into the destination repositories. Further in exemplary
arrangements the monitoring functions of
the central system circuitry may operate to assure that parcel items are
delivered in accordance with required
schedules and/or other handling requirements that may be associated with
particular parcels.
Further in exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry which controls
the acceptance, transport
and delivery of parcels, provides useful aspects compared to other parcel
distribution methods. This is achieved in
some arrangements due to the handling, transport and sorting of a relatively
small number of parcels by each
authorized shipping user and item carrier user of the system. For example in
exemplary arrangements, each item
carrier will generally be involved in handling less than 10 parcels
simultaneously at any given time.
The use of crowd sourced item carriers receiving parcels from originating
depositories and transporting
parcels through intermediate destination repositories, facilitates the
transport and delivery of parcels. As item
carriers act to provide parcel transport generally in coordination with their
other activities such as commuting or
other travel, the ability to move parcels to a final destination repository is
facilitated even though item carriers may
only be willing to carry parcels a portion of the overall parcel transport
path. Further the exemplary arrangements
provide for item carrier compensation for transport of parcels, which
compensation may be readily obtained by the
item carrier in connection with their normal commuting or travel activities.
The exemplary parcel repository 670 shown in Figures 45 ¨ 48 is configured to
operate as a free-standing
device and perform the functions associated with an originating depository and
a destination repository concurrently
for a plurality of parcels. The exemplary repository 670 includes a body which
is alternatively referred to herein as
a housing 672. The housing is supported on a base 674. The base 674 includes a
forward extending portion 676.
The forward extending portion of the exemplary arrangement includes a front to
rearward upwardly sloped face 678.
The exemplary repository housing 672 further includes a top or cap 680. The
exemplary top includes a
roof panel 682. Roof panel 682 is sloped downward from front to rear of the
housing 672. The top 680 further
includes a forward extending cornice 684. Cornice 684 extends forward beyond
the front of the central position of
the housing 672. Cornice 684 has a sloped face 686 that is sloped toward the
rear of the housing further downward
along the face 686.
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The exemplary face 686 includes a recess 688. Recess 688 includes a lens 690.
The exemplary lens 690 is
translucent to enable illumination of the front of the housing by one or more
lamps that are positioned within the
housing. The cornice 684 further includes a port or opening 692 therein. An
electronics housing 694 extends in the
opening 692. The electronics housing 694 is configured to hold control
circuitry 696 which may be of the type
previously discussed, as well as at least one sensor or input device 698 such
as a camera or scanner and a wireless
portal.
The exemplary housing 672 includes a pair of side panels 700, 702 and a back
panel 704. Panels 700, 702
and 704 bound a partitioned housing interior that includes a plurality of
separated interior areas. Locker doors 706,
708, 710, 712 714, 716, 718, 720, 722 and 724 are each movably mounted in
operative supported connection with
the housing 762 through respective hinges 726. Each of the locker doors
selectively controls access to a respective
interior area within the housing 672. In the exemplary arrangement each of the
doors is changeable between a
locked condition and an unlocked condition responsive to a respective
electrically actuated lock in a manner similar
to that used in the previously described repository arrangements.
The exemplary repository 670 is in operative connection with control circuitry
which may function in a
manner similar to that described in connection with repository 10. In addition
repository 670 may include suitable
power sources, sensors, input and output devices, cameras, microphones and
wireless portals that operate in ways
like those discussed in connection with the previously described repositories.
In some exemplary arrangements the
repository 670 may operate responsive entirely to wireless communication with
remote central system circuitry and
local portable wireless devices. For example user identifying information,
access codes and other data that is
required to be communicated to the control circuitry of repository 670 may be
received via a wireless portal, rather
than keypads, touchscreens or other types of manually actuatable input
devices. Further exemplary arrangements
may provide outputs wirelessly that can be perceived by system users adjacent
to the repository through their
portable wireless devices. In this manner the exemplary repository avoids
having externally accessible components
that may be subject to vandalism or tampering. Of course it should be
understood that these approaches are
exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be used.
It should be understood that the number of separate enclosed compartment
spaces within repository 760 is
exemplary, and other repositories may have different numbers of separately
accessible interior areas. The
exemplary repository 670 also includes a pair of smaller sized interior areas
corresponding to doors 720, 722
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
compared to the other interior areas, and a single large interior area
corresponding to door 714. Other parcel
repositories used in connection with exemplary systems may have different
numbers and sizes of compartments and
compartment spaces so as to accommodate the sizes of parcels being handled
through operation of the repository.
Other exemplary repositories may be comprised of separate housings that are
positioned in adjacent relation so as to
provide larger numbers of compartments with interior areas for the acceptance
and release of parcels. Such multiple
repositories may be controlled responsive to common control circuitry and a
single user interface, or may be
separately controlled and operable independent of an adjacent repository.
Further, the exemplary repository is
configured to be positioned in a location that is readily accessible to ground
transportation routes. Such
configuration facilitates access to the repository by shipper users, item
carriers and parcel recipients.
Figure 49 shows a system 728 of an exemplary arrangement and the flow of
parcels which may occur
between repositories in such a system. The exemplary system includes
repository 670 as well as a plurality of other
repositories schematically indicated 730, 732, 734, 736, and 738. In the
exemplary arrangement the repositories
included in the system may be similar to repository 760 or the other
repositories described herein. In alternative
arrangements other repository configurations may be used. It should be
understood that the exemplary system
further includes central system circuitry which may be similar to the central
system circuitry previously discussed.
As represented by arrows T, parcels may be moved between repositories in the
system by item carriers. As
represented in Figure 49 parcels that are input to the exemplary system at
repository 670 that are required to be
delivered at remote final destination repository 734 may be transported in
numerous different ways depending on the
available item carriers. For example, in some situations a parcel may be
transported by an item carrier directly from
the originating repository 670 to the final destination repository 734, as
represented by Arrow 740. Such a direct
transport from the originating repository to the final destination repository
may be the result of the fortuitous
availability of an item carrier who is available to make such direct
transport. Alternatively such a direct route for the
parcel may be the result of the shipping user paying an incentive fee for
prompt delivery or other circumstances.
In alternative circumstances a parcel that is received in originating
repository 670 that is determined by the
central system circuitry as required to move to repository 734 as the final
destination repository, may be moved by
item carriers to one or more intermediate destination repositories before
reaching the final destination repository.
For example a parcel may be moved from the originating repository 670 to
intermediate destination repository 730
by an initial item carrier as represented by Arrow 742. The parcel may then be
moved from repository 730 to
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interim destination repository 732 by another item carrier as represented by
Arrow 744. Finally the parcel may be
moved from repository 732 to the final destination repository 734 by another
item carrier as represented by Arrow
746. Of course as can be appreciated from the other arrows shown in Figure 49,
the parcel may take a more direct
path to the final destination repository 734 as a result of the availability
of other item carriers that can transport the
.. parcel along the more direct path.
As can be appreciated, the exemplary system 728 may also be operated
responsive to the central system
circuitry to achieve parcel deliveries to a final destination repository in a
more rapid manner than might otherwise
occur based on the availability of item carriers. For example the programming
associated with the central system
circuitry may provide for the consolidation of multiple parcel transport jobs
that can be offered to a single item
carrier as an incentive to complete the parcel transports more quickly. For
example the exemplary central system
circuitry may operate to accommodate transport of a collection or bundle of
parcels to an intermediate destination
repository that may not be on the most direct path to a final system
repository for some of the parcels. However, by
moving the parcels to an interim destination repository that is closer to the
final destination repository more quickly
via transport consolidation, the system may achieve delivery at the final
destination repository more quickly than
.. might otherwise occur. Further the central system circuitry may take
advantage of item carriers who have extended
time or delivery location availability compared to other item carriers to
achieve movement of more parcels to
interim destination repository locations, from which delivery at the final
destination repositories may be more
rapidly achieved. As can be appreciated these results may be based on the
central system circuitry evaluating factors
such as available item carriers and carrier locations during different dates
and times, as well as other factors that are
usable to predict and optimize parcel transport.
Of course as can be appreciated, from a shipper user perspective, the
operation of the exemplary system
728 achieves the delivery of delivery items such as parcels from an initial
originating location such as a first
repository to a final location such as a destination repository. As a result,
conceptually the shipment may be
considered to have a universal origin as represented schematically as 748, and
a universal destination as represented
schematically as 750. Although a given parcel may be transported under the
control of the central system circuitry
through numerous different intermediate parcel repositories by different item
carriers, such system activity does not
involve the shipper user or the delivery item parcel recipient.
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Of course it should be understood that exemplary systems may be implemented in
various network
topographies such as a peer to peer network communications environment between
devices included in the system.
Alternatively, the network topography may include a centralized dedicated
network adapted to cooperatively link the
various system components. Of course other arrangements may include
combinations of different system and
network topographies to achieve communications between the different system
components.
As can be appreciated from the prior discussion in connection with repository
10, the exemplary system
728 may provide for communication through central system circuitry with
numerous different types of authorized
and/or registered system users who carry out different roles in connection
with the system. For example in
exemplary arrangements network communication may be provided with the wireless
carrier contact devices of item
carriers to determine transport availability and to provide transport
assignments. Further in exemplary arrangements
such carrier contact devices may be utilized for purposes of tracking parcels
in transport via GPS or other location
monitoring systems. In addition camera or other reader equipped carrier
contact devices may be utilized for
purposes of scanning machine-readable indicia on parcels, determining size
information of parcels or carrying out
other actions. Similarly such wireless devices may include wireless portals
which enable communication wirelessly
.. with repositories so as to communicate information necessary to access
selected interior areas for purposes of
receiving or depositing parcels.
Further as can be appreciated, in exemplary arrangements the network
communications between the
repositories and the central system circuitry may be operative to communicate
status and operational information of
the types previously discussed. Such information may facilitate the quick
repair of any repository malfunctions and
the avoidance of future malfunctions for which symptoms can be detected in
advance. Similarly such
communications may achieve capturing and retaining documentation regarding
parcel receipt, transport and delivery
such as by the capture of sensor data and other data associated therewith.
This may include for example the capture
and retention of image data and other data that is usable to document and
verify activities related to various parcels.
Of course these functions and capabilities are exemplary and in other
arrangements different or alternative
approaches may be used.
Figure 50 schematically represents components utilized in connection with an
exemplary system such as
system 728. In the exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry 752
comprises at least one processor 754 in
operative connection with at least one data store 756. As previously
discussed, although in this exemplary
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
arrangement the central system circuitry may be represented as a central
server or other computer device, in other
exemplary arrangements distributed processing and control of the system may be
provided in a cloud environment
or in a virtual environment within one or more shared platforms.
The exemplary central system circuitry 752 is in operative connection with one
or more interfaces
schematically indicated 758. The interfaces 758 provide communications
connectivity to other system components
which communicate in the system. One or more communication interfaces 760 are
provided to enable
communication of the central system circuitry 752 in the different wired
and/or wireless networks to which the
components included in the system are connected. Of course it should be
understood that in various embodiments
numerous different types of communications interfaces may be used.
The plurality of parcel repositories are in operative connection with the
system through the network and
send communications through interface 760. Such repositories are represented
schematically by a repository 762.
Repository 762 may include components similar to repository10 or 760 or the
other repositories that have been
previously discussed. As schematically shown, each repository includes a
plurality of connected components as
represented schematically by sensors 764 and actuators 766.
The exemplary system further includes carrier contact devices which are
utilized by item carriers in a
manner like that previously discussed. Such wireless carrier contact devices
such as smart phones are represented
by device 768. Such carrier contact devices include control circuitry therein.
The control circuitry may include for
example a scanner and/or code reader circuitry 770. The exemplary carrier
contact device may also include a
tracking application such as a GPS circuitry 772. Interface circuitry 774
suitable for communicating with the central
system circuitry 752 may also be included in the exemplary item carrier
contact device. Of course it should be
understood that these device components are exemplary and in other
arrangements other or additional components
may be used.
As schematically indicated, in the exemplary system devices operated by
shipper users as schematically
represented 776, may also be in operative connection with the central system
circuitry through interfaces 760.
Shipper user devices 776 may operate in a manner like that previously
discussed to provide communications which
enable parcel delivery items to be transported through the system and
delivered into the interior area of an
originating repository. As can be appreciated numerous different types of
shipper user devices and systems may be
operative to communicate in the system. The exemplary system further includes
one or more administrator devices
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schematically indicated 778. Such administrator devices may be utilized for
purposes of monitoring operation of
other devices in the system, providing the mechanism for adding and removing
authorized/registered users of the
system, receiving alerts or problems identified through operation of system
components, generating reports and
other information, and providing other oversight and monitoring functions. Of
course it should be understood that
this schematic representation of system components is merely a high level
representation of those system
components that are included in an exemplary arrangement.
As has been previously described in detailed examples, the exemplary system
enables a shipper user to
utilize the system to ship a parcel from an originating location to a
destination location through operation of the
shipper user device 776. The shipper user device may be operative to provide
to the system information regarding
.. the shipment such as for example the ID token associated with the shipper
that is recognized by being registered or
otherwise authorized to participate in the system. With regard to the
particular shipment, the shipping user device
may provide information regarding the delivery item and its transport
including the originating and destination
locations, scheduling requirements (if applicable), item dimensions, weight
characteristics and markings, and other
information such as a funds source for payment for the shipment.
The exemplary central system circuitry 752 may operate in accordance with the
information received from
the shipper device to determine an originating repository and a final
destination repository for the particular parcel.
The exemplary central system circuitry may also carry out other functions such
as checking for space availability in
the originating repository. The central system circuitry may also provide
other information like that previously
discussed, that enables the shipper user to apply a label including machine-
readable indicia to the parcel that
includes a delivery item identifier (alternatively referred to herein as a
parcel identifier) or other information which
is usable to identify the particular parcel in the system. The central system
circuitry may also provide to the shipper
user device, location information regarding the designated originating
depository, an item depositor access code and
other information that enables the shipper user to place the parcel in a
designated interior area of the originating
repository.
The exemplary system circuitry also operates to evaluate available item
carriers, current item carrier
locations and available location destinations for item transport. The central
system circuitry may operate in a
manner like that discussed to optimize parcel transport or to consolidate
movement of multiple parcels to facilitate
the receipt of such parcels at each final destination repository. Central
system circuitry may also present opportunity
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
messages to item carriers and assign transport jobs to such item carriers. The
central system circuitry may also
monitor such item carriers to assure that performance of transport jobs is
timely commenced, and if not, may
reassign transport jobs to other item carriers.
The exemplary arrangements further enable the central system circuitry to
monitor repositories for purposes
of determining the placement and removal of parcels into selected interior
areas such as compartments by providing
access to authorized users such as shipper users, item carriers, and final
parcel recipients. The central system
circuitry operates in coordination with the control circuitry of the
repositories to monitor the placement and taking of
each parcel between each originating repository and destination repository.
Further the exemplary system tracks the
parcel and assures the desired movement of the parcel to its final destination
repository. In some arrangements the
system further operates to provide the recipient of each parcel with
notification of the receipt of the parcel at the
final destination repository. In such arrangements, the system provides
selective controlled access to enable the
recipient to remove the parcel from the interior area of the final destination
repository and documents the taking
thereof so as to assure that the parcel has been properly delivered. Further
in exemplary arrangements the charges
and credits associated with the transport of items are provided through the
central system circuitry to assure that
.. parcel transports are paid for and that participants in the system are
credited as appropriate for their activities. Of
course it should be understood that the functions, activities and approaches
described herein are exemplary and in
other arrangements other approaches may be used.
Further as previously discussed in some exemplary arrangements the central
circuitry may be operated so
that item carriers deliver parcels to the destination address of the
recipient. In such arrangements the central
.. circuitry may be operative to determine a common route which may be
followed by an item carrier to deliver
multiple parcels to the recipient addresses. In such arrangements an item
carrier may collect the parcels from one or
more compartments within the interior area of a repository responsive to the
central system giving access thereto.
The user may then utilize their portable wireless device to document the
taking of the parcels from the repository for
delivery. Further in some exemplary arrangements the central circuitry may be
operative to cause the placement of
multiple parcels that will be transported together in a group or bundle that
is collected via placement in a single
compartment. This may be done to facilitate the ability of the item carrier to
obtain the items to be transported by
the item carrier in a shorter period of time. In such arrangements the central
system may provide the item carrier
with the destination address of each parcel. The item carrier may then
document the delivery of each parcel at the
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respective destination address through operation of their mobile wireless
device in a manner like that previously
discussed. Of course these approaches are exemplary and in other arrangements
other approaches may be used.
In some exemplary arrangements the control circuitry associated with the
parcel repositories is operative to
maintain information concerning the available compartment volume in each
enclosed compartment space. This
capability enables the control circuitry to determine where a particular
parcel may be placed within the
compartments of a particular repository. Further in exemplary arrangements the
ability to determine the available
volume in compartments enables the control circuitry to determine if a
plurality of parcels which may be
subsequently transported together as a group or bundle by an item carrier, can
be placed together in a single
compartment. This capability may facilitate the ability of the item carrier to
obtain the parcels from the repository
so that they can be more readily accessed and transported to a destination
repository or other destination.
In some exemplary systems the at least one data store associated with the
central system circuitry includes
data corresponding to information that is accessible to item carrier contact
devices and that can be used to facilitate
the placement of parcels into and the removal of parcels from repositories.
Such additional data is used in
exemplary arrangements to assist item carriers in locating repositories and
also in carrying out the necessary
processes to access and carry out the necessary parcel transactions at each
repository. Such additional data may also
be usable by item carriers to locate areas at customer addresses where
shipments may originate or be delivered.
In some exemplary arrangements the pickup, transportation and delivery of
parcels is facilitated by having
assigned geographic catchment areas associated with particular parcel
repositories. In exemplary arrangements a
catchment area is a defined geographic region. In arrangements where parcels
are picked up from entities
originating shipments from initial pickup addresses and/or parcels are
delivered to parcel recipients at final delivery
addresses by item carriers, each catchment area may define an area that is
associated with a particular parcel
repository. For example in some arrangements parcels that are picked up from a
parcel shipment initiating addresses
located in a catchment area are generally initially transported by an item
carrier to a specific repository that is
associated with that catchment area. Likewise if a final delivery address of a
parcel recipient is located within a
catchment area, the parcel is generally transported to the repository
associated with that catchment area before it is
taken by an item carrier to the final delivery address of the recipient.
In other exemplary arrangements where shippers take their parcels to a
repository to initiate a shipment, the
catchment area in which the address of the shipper is located may determine
the repository to which the shipper is
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directed. Likewise in arrangements where the recipient receives the parcel
directly from a repository, the catchment
area in which the parcel recipient's address is located may be used to
determine the repository to which the parcel is
directed. This helps to assure that the parcel is delivered to a repository
that is in reasonably close proximity to the
recipient's address. While in some exemplary arrangements one geographic
catchment area may be used for
defining a region for both pickup and delivery addresses (and/or shipper and
recipient addresses) for items going to
and from a particular repository, in other arrangements a single repository
may have one catchment area associated
with parcel pickups and a different catchment area associated with parcel
deliveries. Further in other exemplary
arrangements one repository may be used only for incoming parcels that will be
transported to other repositories,
while another repository may be used only for outgoing "last mile" parcels
that will be delivered directly from the
repository to the final delivery addresses of the parcel recipients by an item
carrier. Numerous different
arrangements may be utilized depending on the requirements and desired
operation of the particular system.
Figure 51 represents a plurality of catchment areas 780, 782, 784, 786, 788,
790, 792, 794, 796, 798 and
800. Each of the catchment areas represents a defined geographic area. Such
areas may be bounded by streets,
geographic features, political boundaries or boundaries which have been set by
the system operator. It should be
appreciated that the catchment areas shown may be a subset of catchment areas
and may have other catchment areas
in surrounding relation thereto if the operator of the system provides parcel
pickups and/or deliveries in adjacent
geographical areas.
A plurality of parcel repositories, 802, 804, 806, 808, 810, 812, 814, 816,
818, 820 and 822 are each located
within a respective catchment area. For example, repository 806 is located in
catchment area 784. As previously
discussed, in exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry includes
data corresponding to each catchment
area and the particular repository that is located in the respective catchment
area. In the at least one data store
associated with the central system circuitry, the data corresponding to each
repository is associated with the one
respective catchment area in which it is located. Further in exemplary
arrangements the central system circuitry
includes data and circuit executable instructions that enable the
determination of the respective catchment area in
which shippers or initial pickup addresses are located, as well as the
respective catchment area associated with
recipient and final delivery address information. Further in exemplary
arrangements the at least one data store
includes for parcels that are to be transported from an initial pickup address
to a final delivery address, data to
determine the respective catchment area and the respective parcel repository
associated with the catchment area. In
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
exemplary arrangements the data corresponding to the initial pickup address
and the final delivery address are stored
in association with the parcel identifier, which is alternatively referred to
herein as a parcel ID, and/or other data that
uniquely identifies the particular parcel. Of course it should be understood
that this approach is exemplary and in
other arrangements other approaches may be used.
As can be appreciated from Figure 51, because each catchment area has a number
of other immediately
adjacent catchment areas, there can be situations where it is faster and more
cost-effective to provide for parcel
routing through a repository other than the particular repository that is
associated with the catchment area in which
the initial pickup address or final delivery address is located. For example
if a parcel is going to be delivered at a
final delivery address represented 824, the parcel would normally be routed
through operation of the central system
circuitry, which is alternatively referred to herein as control circuitry, to
a final repository 806 that is located in
catchment area 784. However, because of other parcels that are being
transported and are planned for delivery at
about the same time, it may be faster and/or more cost-effective to have the
parcel that is going to be delivered at the
final delivery address indicated 824, to be transported through repository
802, 804 or 808. These situations can arise
because other parcels that are being transported through those repositories
may have final delivery addresses in the
respective catchment areas that are physically closer to the final delivery
address 824 than other parcels that are
currently planned for delivery in catchment area 784. This results because as
represented in Figure 51, catchment
areas 780, 782 and 786 all include geographic locations that are in relatively
close proximity to final delivery
address 824 in catchment area 784.
While in the exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry is generally
operative to cause parcels to
be routed to the particular repository that is associated with the catchment
area in which the final delivery address
associated with the respective parcel is located, exception situations can be
determined through operation of the
central system circuitry. This can be accomplished in exemplary arrangements
by identifying situations where
parcels can be more effectively delivered by routing the parcel to a
repository in an adjacent catchment area.
In exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry that is in operative
connection with each of the
plurality of parcel repositories, is operative to control the transport and
delivery of the parcels. The exemplary
system circuitry is operative to assure that parcels are delivered in a timely
and cost-effective manner. As
previously discussed, in exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry
is in operative connection with at least
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one data store. The at least one data store includes data corresponding to a
final delivery address or location for
each respective parcel that is currently being transported in the system. In
exemplary arrangements the parcel final
delivery address for each parcel is associated with parcel identifying
information, which in the exemplary
arrangement includes the respective parcel identifier. Further in exemplary
arrangements, the at least one data store
in operative connection with the central system circuitry includes data
corresponding to a current parcel location for
each respective parcel. In exemplary arrangements the data corresponding to
the current parcel location is indicative
of a current physical location of the parcel. This may include in some
situations, data corresponding to a particular
repository in which the parcel is currently positioned. In other situations
the current parcel location data may
correspond to the parcel being in possession of an item carrier and in transit
between repositories, or in transit
between a shipper address and a repository, or in transit between a repository
and the final delivery address. In
exemplary arrangements the current location data is associated in the at least
one data store with the parcel identifier.
Of course this location data is exemplary and in other arrangements other
approaches may be used.
Further in exemplary arrangements the at least one data store includes data
corresponding to each
respective parcel repository. The stored data further includes data
corresponding to the geographical catchment
areas as previously discussed. The central system circuitry further includes
stored data regarding each respective
catchment area and the associated relation with the respective parcel
repository that is located within the respective
catchment area.
Also as previously discussed, in exemplary arrangements the at least one data
store includes data
corresponding to item carriers. The stored data may include data of the type
previously mentioned herein that is
associated with each particular item carrier, as well as data associated with
the respective carrier's carrier contact
device. This may include for example, contact data for the carrier contact
device such as an email address or phone
number used for communication with the item carrier contact device. This may
also include for example, carrier
identifying data such as identifying data associated with the item carrier.
This may include biometric data that can
be used to uniquely identify a particular item carrier. Alternatively such
identifying data may include identifying
data such as a token identifier that is stored in at least one data store of
the carrier's contact device.
Further in exemplary arrangements the stored data in the at least one data
store includes data corresponding
to a parcel carrying capacity of each respective item carrier. The parcel
carrying capacity data associated with the
item carrier data is indicative of the parcel carrying capabilities of the
respective item carrier. In some exemplary
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
arrangements the carrier capacity data includes data corresponding to a
quantity of parcels that the particular item
carrier is capable of transporting at one time. In other exemplary
arrangements the item carrier capacity data may
include data corresponding to a volume of space that the item carrier has
available in their vehicle for transporting
parcels. In other exemplary arrangements the carrier capacity data may include
weight data corresponding to a
.. maximum weight of parcels that the item carrier is capable of transporting
at one time. Additional information may
be stored in the at least one data store regarding item carriers including
information about special transport
capabilities. This may include capabilities to transport items in secure
compartments, authority to access certain
security areas, capabilities to transport items that require refrigerated or
other special conditions, and/or other
capabilities that may be provided by the particular item carrier.
In some exemplary arrangements the at least one data store that is in
operative connection with the central
system circuitry may also include other types of data. Such data may include
data corresponding to transport
assignments that have been made to item carriers. Such data regarding
transport assignments may include
information regarding particular item carriers, the parcels currently being
transported and the repository to which the
parcels will be delivered when the transport assignment is completed. In
exemplary arrangements the at least one
.. data store includes data regarding currently uncompleted item carrier
parcel transport assignments. As previously
discussed, in exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry may be
operative to track transport activities by
item carriers in performing uncompleted transport assignments. Further in
exemplary arrangements the central
system circuitry may be operative to store data regarding parcel final
delivery times associated with uncompleted
transport assignments. This may include for example, information regarding
when the parcels involved in the
uncompleted transport assignment are scheduled to arrive at a particular
destination repository. Alternatively or in
addition parcel final delivery times may include a calculated remaining time
window in which a particular parcel is
required to be delivered. Of course this approach is exemplary and in other
arrangements other approaches may be
used.
In some exemplary arrangements the at least one data store in operative
connection with the central system
.. circuitry includes other stored data corresponding to values that are used
in connection with controlling the making
of transport assignments to item carriers for purposes of transporting items.
For example, in exemplary
arrangements the at least one data store may include data corresponding to at
least one set time window that is used
in connection with making offers of transport assignments to item carriers.
For example in situations where
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transport assignments are offered to one or more item carriers, the central
system circuitry may wait for a time
corresponding to a particular set time window for receipt from a carrier of
acceptance of an offer to perform a
transport assignment. After the expiration of the time window without the
receipt of an acceptance message to
perform the transport assignment by one of the item carriers to which the
transport assignment has been offered, the
central system circuitry may take steps to offer the transport assignment to
one or more other item carriers, and/or
may offer alternative transport assignments. The stored data regarding time
windows for acceptance of transport
assignments may be set by the system operator or determined by the central
system circuitry based on stored
parameters for item carriers or other information. Of course it should be
understood that this stored data is
exemplary and other arrangements different or other types of stored data may
be used.
In some exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry is operative to
facilitate the transport of
parcels from an initial repository in which they are received to a destination
repository. As previously discussed in
some arrangements the parcel may be taken by the parcel recipient from the
destination repository. In other
exemplary arrangements an item carrier, which is alternatively referred to
herein as an item handler, may transport
the item from the destination repository that corresponds to the catchment
area in which the final delivery address
for the parcel is located, and transport the parcel to the final delivery
address.
In exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry is operative to cause
parcels to be arranged in
bundles during at least a portion of the transport between the repository in
which they are initially received and the
destination repository. In exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry
operates in accordance with its
circuit executable instructions to determine how parcels should be collected
together into bundles to facilitate
transport in a cost efficient and timely manner. Generally in exemplary
arrangements the central system circuitry is
also operative to keep track of the parcels by maintaining data in at least
one data store that indicates a current
location of each respective parcel currently being handled in the system.
Further in exemplary arrangements the
central system circuitry is operative to maintain multiple parcels that may be
shipped from a common shipment
originating address to a common final delivery address, together throughout
the time of transport. This approach
may facilitate assuring that all of the plurality of parcels that make up a
common shipment arrive together for the
parcel recipient at the final delivery address. Of course numerous other rules
and approaches may be implemented
through operation of the central system circuitry.
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In an exemplary arrangement the at least one data store associated with the
central system circuitry is
initially programmed with data that includes a plurality of transport base
values. The transport base values are
usable by the central circuitry or other systems to calculate transport costs
between at least two parcel repositories.
In exemplary arrangements the transport base values are stored values that are
usable to calculate relative transport
.. costs for parcels between selected repositories. In some exemplary
arrangements the transport base values may
correspond to distance values between repositories. In other exemplary
arrangements the transport base values may
correspond to weighing factors which are usable in calculations with other
known or calculated values to make
determinations as to relative transport costs between repositories. In other
exemplary arrangements transport base
values may correspond to time factors associated with the time associated with
transport between selected
repositories. Further in other exemplary arrangements transport base values
may include values that corresponds to
the rates which are required to be paid to item carriers to move items between
different repositories. Further in
exemplary arrangements the transport base values may include combinations of
one or more of the above-mentioned
factors which are utilized for calculation of the parcel transport costs
between two or more selected repositories.
In an exemplary arrangement the transport base values may correspond to values
corresponding to the
relative cost of transport between pairs of repositories. In some arrangements
this may include data corresponding
to transport costs between pairs of repositories included in the system
between which parcels may be transported. In
other exemplary arrangements the transport base values may correspond to
transport between pairs of immediately
adjacent repositories that are included in the system. In exemplary
arrangements the transport base values may be
used to make a calculation of a value that corresponds to a relative parcel
transport cost either from the cost values
alone or such values in combination with other values or functions. For
example in certain calculations functions
may take into consideration additional factors such as the weight or volume of
one or more parcels, the need for
special handling of parcels, such as the need for refrigeration, secure
transport or other factors that have a bearing on
cost. Also factors considered in relative cost calculations may include the
need to provide priority handling for
certain parcels, the need for using bonded item carriers to transport certain
parcels, or other requirements that have
an impact on the cost of transport and need to be included when making a
calculation of the cost of transport of
certain parcels between selected repositories. In other exemplary arrangements
other factors that may be used in
making relative parcel transport cost calculations include parcel quantity
reduction values, which may be
representative of reduced costs that result from economies of scale or other
factors. Such parcel quantity reduction
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values may include values that cause the relative calculated cost of transport
of a parcel between repositories to be
reduced as a function of the number of other parcels with which a given parcel
may be transported as part of a
bundle.
Numerous different approaches may be used in exemplary arrangements for
developing the stored transport
base values that can be used for purposes of calculation of the relative cost
to transport parcels between repositories.
Figures 61 through 68 represent graphically, stored data included in data
bearing records that correspond to
transport base values that are used in an exemplary arrangement for purposes
of calculating the relative cost of
parcel transport between selected repositories. As represented in these
Figures the dots or circles labeled A through
BB represent parcel repositories of the type previously discussed. In
exemplary arrangements the parcel repositories
include multiple separated compartments that are individually controlled by
respective doors and locks so as to
provide selective compartment access to item handlers. As represented
schematically in these Figures, transport
base values between immediately adjacent repositories between which parcels
are moved in the system are
represented in association with lines which connect the repositories between
which parcels may be transported. As
can be appreciated in some arrangements parcels are enabled to be transported
between immediately adjacent
repositories. However, in some arrangements for purposes of calculation of
relative parcel transport cost using the
transport base values, not every repository will have an associated transport
base value between every other
immediately adjacent repository. This may be indicative of certain factors
which prevent direct transport. This may
include geographic features such as rivers or lakes that prevent direct
transport. Other considerations in not
including transport base values between repositories that are immediately
geographically adjacent may include lack
of direct highway access or other barriers to direct transport. In other
arrangements certain direct transport base
values between certain repositories are not included in the stored data
records for other reasons. Such arrangements
may be utilized to assure that calculations using transport base values that
are made in a manner like that later
discussed, more accurately represent the relative expected cost of transport
between selected repositories. Of course
it should be understood that this approach is exemplary and in other
arrangements other approaches may be used.
Further in exemplary arrangements the at least one data store in operative
connection with the central
system circuitry may include data corresponding to at least one parcel
handling base value. In exemplary
arrangements the at least one parcel handling base value corresponds to a cost
associated with at least one of placing
a parcel in a repository and removing a parcel from a repository for further
transport. As can be appreciated from
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the prior discussion, for purposes of calculating relative transport costs the
requirements to pay item carriers to pick
up one or more parcels at a repository, transport and deliver the parcels to
another repository has an associated cost.
This may be for example, an increased cost that arises in situations where
more than one carrier has to be paid in
connection with transporting a parcel from the initial repository in which it
is received and the final destination
repository from which it is subsequently delivered to its final delivery
address. In some exemplary arrangements the
stored data corresponding to the at least one parcel handling base value may
be the same for some or all of the
repositories that are included in the system. Alternatively in some
arrangements, different parcel repositories may
have different associated parcel handling base values. This may be due to the
fact that the item handlers that
transport parcels to and from these repositories cost more than other item
handlers to make pickups and deliveries.
Other factors that may be included might include the need for persons who
travel to and access such repositories to
incur tolls, parking costs or other expenses in connection with making pickups
from and deliveries to such
repositories. In exemplary arrangements the at least one data store may
include data corresponding to a parcel
handling base value stored in associated relation with respective repositories
that are based on these particular costs
or other factors that are specific to the repository or its location. Of
course these approaches are exemplary and in
.. other arrangements other approaches may be used.
Further in exemplary arrangements the at least one data store in operative
connection with the central
system circuitry includes other types of data. This may include for example,
the types of data that have been
previously discussed in connection with the other exemplary arrangements. In
some exemplary arrangements the at
least one data store may include data corresponding to at least one parcel
bundle quantity reduction value. Such a
value may correspond to one or more factors that are used in parcel relative
cost of transport calculations to account
for economies of scale that result from transporting a parcel with a number of
other parcels. Such parcel bundle
quantity reduction values may be applied so that the calculated relative cost
of transport for a parcel may be reduced
based on a larger number of other parcels included in the bundle in which the
parcel is being transported. Further
the at least one data store may include data related to outgoing bundles of
parcels that are being accumulated in a
respective repository. As previously discussed, in exemplary system
arrangements a bundle of parcels may include
at least one parcel that is designated or planned by the central system
circuitry to be transported from the repository
in which is currently located, to a bundle destination repository. Generally
bundles include a plurality of included
bundle parcels which have been determined by the central system circuitry as
appropriate to be transported together
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
from the repository in which they are currently located to a bundle
destination repository to facilitate transport
toward each respective parcel's final destination repository.
In the exemplary arrangement the at least one data store in operative
connection with the central system
circuitry includes records regarding bundles such as record 826 which is
schematically represented in Figure 60. In
the exemplary arrangement the data related to each bundle includes a bundle
identifier which identifies the particular
outgoing bundle. The exemplary bundle record further includes data
corresponding to the particular repository in
which the bundle is currently located. Data corresponding to the particular
compartment (or in some situations
multiple compartments when the bundle parcels are positioned in more than one
compartment) is stored in the
bundle record. The compartment identifier identifies the particular
compartment or compartments within the
repository in which the bundle is located. The exemplary bundle record further
includes data corresponding to the
particular bundle parcels that are included in the bundle. In exemplary
arrangements the data regarding the parcels
include the parcel identifiers that uniquely identify a particular parcel in
the system. Data corresponding to the
bundle destination repository to which the bundle is going to be transported
is also included in the exemplary bundle
record. Of course it should be appreciated that these values are exemplary and
in other arrangements different or
additional types of data may be included in the bundle records.
In the exemplary arrangements the at least one data store associated with the
central system circuitry
includes other types of data. In some exemplary arrangements the at least one
data store may include data
corresponding to one or more bundle redirection values. In some exemplary
arrangements such bundle redirection
values may be utilized by the central system circuitry for purposes of making
determinations that an outgoing parcel
bundle from a repository that is currently designated for transport to a
bundle destination repository, would have the
bundle parcels included therein more efficiently delivered by having the
parcel bundle routed to a different
destination repository. Other types of exemplary data may include at least one
bundle transport threshold value. In
exemplary arrangements the at least one bundle transport threshold value
corresponds to the properties of a bundle
which are designated as indicative that the bundle meets criteria which
require that it be transported from the
repository in which is currently located to the bundle destination repository.
In some exemplary arrangements the at
least one bundle transport threshold value may correspond to a particular
quantity of parcels that are included in the
bundle. Such a value may be utilized when the system operator determines that
item handlers who transports parcels
can normally handle only a threshold number of parcels at one time.
Alternatively or in addition, the at least one
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bundle transport threshold value may be set at a particular time to assure
that bundle parcels are not located in a
particular repository for an excessive period of time without moving towards
their final delivery addresses.
In other exemplary arrangements the data corresponding to the at least one
bundle parcel threshold value
may include data corresponding to other parcel or bundle features. For example
in some arrangements the at least
.. one bundle parcel threshold value may correspond in whole or in part to a
cumulative weight or cumulative volume
of parcels included in a bundle. Such factors may be considered in setting the
bundle transport threshold value to
assure that an item carrier has the physical capability and/or available space
for purposes of transporting the bundle
in a normal item carrier vehicle. Alternatively in other exemplary
arrangements, the bundle transport threshold
value may be based at least in part on values for parcels included in parcel
bundles. For example in some exemplary
.. arrangements the entity shipping a parcel may declare a value for a parcel
that the shipper is entitled to be paid in the
event of parcel damage or loss. The operator of the system may not want more
than a set shipper declared loss value
of parcels to be included in any one bundle for purposes of transport so that
if all the items in the bundle are lost or
destroyed, the loss is within the insurance limits of the system operator.
Alternatively or in addition, in some
exemplary arrangements the at least one bundle transport threshold value may
be based at least in part on the
cumulative shipper declared loss values of parcels that are resident in a
particular repository. In some arrangements
the central system circuitry may operate in accordance with its circuit
executable instmctions to keep the cumulative
declared loss value of parcels that are located in a particular repository
below a threshold limit in order to assure that
if the repository is compromised the loss will not exceed the insurance limits
of the system operator. Of course
these approaches are exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches and
factors may be used.
In exemplary arrangements the at least one data store may also include data
that is utilized for purposes of
determining when bundles are transported. Such data may include for example,
data that corresponds to a parcel
final delivery time associated with each parcel identifier. In exemplary
arrangements the parcel final delivery time
may correspond to a time by which the respective parcel is required to be
delivered at its respective final delivery
address. In some exemplary arrangements the data corresponding to parcel final
delivery times associated with
respective parcel identifiers may correspond to a particular time by which the
parcel needs to arrive at its final
delivery destination. In other exemplary arrangements the parcel final
delivery time associated with the parcel
identifier may correspond to a remaining time value by which the parcel must
arrive at its final delivery destination.
Such parcel final delivery time values may be continuously or periodically
calculated based on the clock function in
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operative connection with the central system circuitry, so that the remaining
available time for delivery of each
particular parcel is determinable by the central system circuitry. Such values
may be important to make sure that
parcels are delivered in time to satisfy the service level agreements or other
commitments that are made by the
operator of the system to deliver the parcels in a timely manner.
In exemplary arrangements the at least one data store in operative connection
with the central system
circuitry further includes records including data corresponding to at least
one remaining time threshold value. The
at least one remaining time threshold value corresponds to and/or is usable
for purposes of determining when a
particular parcel should move towards its final delivery destination in order
to be delivered by or within the
applicable parcel final delivery time. In some exemplary arrangements the at
least one remaining time threshold
.. value may be a set value that is based on a time difference between a
current time and the parcel final delivery time
of the particular parcel. Alternatively or in addition, the remaining time
threshold value may be a calculated value
that is determined based on a current parcel location or a distance of the
particular parcel from its parcel final
delivery address, and the associated parcel final delivery time data for the
particular parcel. Of course it should be
understood that these approaches and stored values are exemplary and in other
arrangements other types of data may
be utilized for determining the criteria for moving a parcel toward its final
delivery address.
The logic carried out in an exemplary arrangement by central system circuitry
to determine a suitable
approach for the bundling of parcels together for transport between
repositories is represented in Figures 52 through
59. It should be understood that the logic flow is described at a high level
and exemplary arrangements may include
additional or different steps for purposes of making bundling determinations.
The exemplary logic flow represented
is related to determining the inclusion of a parcel that is an incoming parcel
to a receiving repository, into a bundle
into which the parcel will be included for further transport to another
repository. The exemplary logic flow is
carried out in connection with parcels that will be received into the
receiving repository, and then transported from
the receiving repository as part of the bundle to another repository which is
the bundle destination repository of the
particular bundle. The exemplary logic represented in Figures 52 ¨ 59 is not
utilized in connection with incoming
parcels to a final destination repository from which the parcel is going to be
transported by an item carrier to its final
delivery address.
In the exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry is in operative
connection with at least one input
device that is associated with the receiving repository, that is in a ready
state to receive a parcel as represented by a
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step 828. At least one input device that is in operative connection with the
receiving repository is enabled to receive
data corresponding to a parcel identifier associated with an incoming parcel
to the repository as represented by a
step 830. In some exemplary arrangements the data corresponding to the
incoming parcel identifier may include
data that is received wirelessly by an input device such as a wireless
transceiver, which is alternatively referred to
herein as a wireless portal, that is associated with the receiving repository.
For example in some arrangements the
data may be received from a portable wireless device such as a smart phone of
an item handler that includes a
camera that is operative to read the barcode or other machine-readable indicia
on a parcel that has been transported
to the receiving repository by the item handler. Alternatively in some
arrangements the parcel identifier for the
incoming parcel may be read by an input device which may include a reading
device such as a camera that is
permanently associated with the receiving repository. Other input devices such
as those previously discussed as
being in operative connection with parcel repositories may be used in other
arrangements for receiving the parcel
identifier associated with the particular incoming parcel.
In the exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry is also operative to
receive data corresponding to
the receiving repository at which the incoming parcel is being presented. This
is represented by step 832. In some
exemplary arrangements the circuitry associated with the repository and that
is in operative connection with the
wireless portal that receives wirelessly the parcel identifier, may operate in
accordance with its circuit executable
instructions to send data that identifies the receiving repository as well as
the parcel identifier in one or more
messages that are communicated with the central system circuitry. In some
exemplary arrangements one or more
messages may be communicated between the repository circuitry and the central
system circuitry through one or
more wireless networks or other suitable communications networks. Of course it
should be understood that these
approaches are exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be
used to communicate to the central
circuitry the data corresponding to the parcel identifier and the receiving
repository at which the incoming parcel is
being presented for acceptance into the repository.
As represented by step 834 the central system circuitry is then operative to
determine the parcel destination
repository for the incoming parcel. In exemplary arrangements the central
system circuitry is operative to utilize the
record data corresponding to the final parcel delivery address that is
associated with the parcel identifier in the at
least one data store. The central system circuitry further operates using the
data regarding the geographic data that
corresponds to the catchment areas to determine a catchment area in which the
final delivery address is located.
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Responsive at least in part to determining the catchment area which includes
the final delivery address for the parcel,
the central system circuitry then determines the repository that is associated
with the determined catchment area. Of
course this approach is exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches
may be used.
After the central system circuitry has determined the parcel destination
repository for the incoming parcel,
the central system circuitry is operative responsive to the stored bundle data
records to identify any current outgoing
parcel bundles located in the receiving repository. This is represented by
step 836. As represented by step 838 the
central system circuitry then operates to make a determination concerning
whether one or more outgoing bundles are
currently located in the receiving repository. If it is determined that there
are no current outgoing bundles in the
receiving repository, the central system circuitry acts in a manner that is
later discussed to start a new outgoing
bundle that initially includes only the incoming parcel.
If it is determined in step 838 that there is at least one outgoing bundle
currently located in the receiving
repository, the central system circuitry is then operative to determine the
bundle destination repository associated
with each of the current outgoing bundles. The bundle destination of each
outgoing bundle is compared with the
incoming parcel destination repository of the incoming parcel. This is
represented by a step 840. A determination is
then made as represented by step 842, concerning whether a bundle destination
repository of the currently resident
bundle in the receiving repository is the same repository as the destination
repository of the incoming parcel. If such
an existing outgoing bundle currently exists in the receiving repository, the
central system circuitry then operates in
accordance with its circuit executable instructions to make a determination
that the particular bundle with the same
bundle destination repository as the final destination repository for the
incoming parcel is the lowest cost bundle for
purposes of transporting the incoming parcel. This is represented by a step
844.
The calculations that are carried out by the central system circuitry in a
situation where an incoming parcel
has a destination repository that corresponds to an existing bundle located in
the receiving repository is represented
in Figure 61. In this example the receiving repository is designated by the
letter F and the bundle destination
repository is represented by the letter 0. As represented by the solid line
arrow, the bundle including the incoming
parcel will be transported with the existing parcel bundle directly between
repositories F and 0. The corresponding
transport base value which is usable by the central system circuitry to
determine data corresponding to a relative
transport cost of the incoming parcel between those repositories is indicated
by the value "8" that is associated with
the solid line with the adjacent dash line between the repositories. In this
situation the calculated cost of transport
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-04-09
value corresponding to transport of a parcel between the repositories F and 0
corresponds to the indicated relative
transport cost value "8." As can be appreciated, this cost of transport value
is lower than the cumulative sum of the
transport cost values that would be associated with transporting the incoming
parcel to a different repository other
than repository 0, and then transporting the parcel to the incoming parcel
destination repository F.
In an exemplary arrangement if it is determined in step 842 that there is no
existing outgoing bundle that
has a bundle destination repository that corresponds to the incoming parcel
destination repository, the central system
circuitry then operates as represented by a step 843 to determine the parcel
destination repository for each of the
plurality of bundle parcels included in each of the outgoing parcel bundles.
This is represented by step 843. The
determination of the final destination repositories of the parcels that are
included in the outgoing parcel bundles may
.. be determined different ways. For example, in some arrangements the central
system circuitry may determine the
final destination repository for each bundle parcel based on the respective
parcel identifier associated with the parcel
and the associated final delivery address of the parcel. Alternatively in some
arrangements the data corresponding
to the respective parcel destination repository for a bundle parcel may be
included in the bundle record such as
record 826 previously discussed. The parcel destination repository for each
respective bundle parcel may be
included in the bundle record of some exemplary arrangements because the
destination repository for each parcel is
determined prior to the time that the parcel is placed in the repository, and
used for purposes of making the
determination of the particular bundle in which the parcel will be included.
Of course other approaches to
determining the respective destination repository for each of the bundle
parcels may be used.
As represented in a step 845 the central system circuitry is then operative to
compare the parcel destination
repository for the incoming parcel and the destination repository of each
respective bundle parcel that is included in
each outgoing bundle. A determination is then made as represented by step 847,
whether the destination repository
of a bundle parcel currently in the repository corresponds to the incoming
parcel destination repository. If so the
central system circuitry then operates as represented by step 849 to determine
the bundle identifier that is associated
with the outgoing bundle in which the bundle parcel with the same final
destination repository is included.
After determining the particular bundle in which the bundle parcel that has
the same final destination
repository as the incoming parcel destination repository, the central system
circuitry is then operative as represented
in a step 851 to cause the determined bundle identifier to be designated as
the determined lowest cost bundle for
transport of the incoming parcel to the incoming parcel destination
repository. The exemplary central system
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circuitry operates in this manner so that parcels which have a common final
destination repository are accumulated
in a single outgoing parcel bundle. The collection of the plurality of bundle
parcels which have the same final
destination repository together in the same outgoing bundle provides for more
efficient transport of those parcels
toward their common final destination repository.
Further in some exemplary arrangements, after the central system circuitry has
operated to make a
determination that an incoming parcel is to be included in a selected bundle
for transport based on the existing
outgoing bundle having at least one prior bundle parcel having the same
destination repository, an evaluation may
be carried out in accordance with circuit executable instructions to determine
if the bundle destination repository for
the outgoing bundle should be changed. This may be accomplished in exemplary
arrangements by the central
system circuitry using stored data corresponding to bundle redirection values
and other data to evaluate whether the
current group of parcels included in the selected bundle would be handled more
cost and/or time efficiently by
changing the bundle destination repository to which the outgoing bundle is to
be directed. For example, if the
addition of the incoming parcel to the selected bundle will result in the
selected bundle having a quantity of bundle
parcels that have a common final destination repository, that is greater by a
stored bundle redirection value than the
quantity of bundle parcels in the selected bundle that have a final
destination repository of the current bundle
destination, the central system circuitry may operate to change the bundle
record for the selected bundle to
correspond to the final destination repository that corresponds to the greater
number of parcels in the outgoing
bundle. In other exemplary arrangements other factors such as the change in
the cost of parcel transport for other
bundle parcels, time of delivery requirements and other factors may be
evaluated by the central system circuitry in
making a determination to change the bundle destination repository. Of course
this approach is exemplary and in
other arrangements other types of analysis and bundle parcel redirection value
data may be utilized in making the
determination on whether the bundle destination repository should be changed.
If the central system circuitry determines that no outgoing bundle in the
receiving repository has a bundle
destination repository that is the same as the destination repository for the
incoming parcel, and that no existing
outgoing bundle has a bundle parcel that corresponds to the final destination
repository of the incoming parcel, the
exemplary central system circuitry then operates to determine data
corresponding to a cost of transport value that
would be associated with transporting the incoming parcel with at least some
of the outgoing parcel bundles that are
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located in the receiving repository. In an exemplary arrangement this is done
by the central system circuitry
selecting data corresponding to an initial bundle for analysis as represented
by a step 846.
In the exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry operates in
accordance with its stored circuit
executable instructions and record data to determine a lowest base path
between the receiving repository into which
the incoming parcel will be placed, and the bundle destination repository
which is the destination of the bundle that
has been selected for analysis in step 846. This is represented by a step 848.
In the exemplary arrangement the
lowest base path is defined to be a path between the receiving repository and
the bundle destination repository
through successive immediately adjacent intermediate repositories which
produces the lowest cumulative total of
associated transport base values. In the exemplary arrangement the lowest base
path will generally correspond to a
lowest cost path for parcel transport. This is represented graphically in
Figure 62 in which the repository designated
M is the receiving repository and the repository designated U is the bundle
destination repository. The repository
designated D is the incoming parcel destination repository. In the exemplary
arrangement the lowest base bundle
destination repository path extends between the respective receiving
repository and the respective bundle destination
repository for the respective bundle, and also extends through each successive
immediately adjacent intermediate
repository between the receiving repository and the respective bundle
destination repository. As graphically
represented in Figure 62 the lowest base bundle destination repository path is
represented by the dash lines adjacent
to the solid lines which extend directly between the repositories intermediate
of repositories M and U. In the
exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry determines the path
indicated by the dash lines is the lowest base
path as the total of the stored transport base values is "26" which is lower
than the cumulative total of the transport
base values through any other set of immediately adjacent intermediate
repositories.
Of course it should be understood that in the exemplary arrangement if the
incoming parcel were
transported between repositories M and U, the parcel would not be positioned
in any of the intermediate repositories
along the path (0, Q and V). Rather the parcel would move directly between the
receiving repository and the bundle
destination repository. In the exemplary arrangement the lowest base path is
determined for purposes of providing a
basis for determination of the respective transport base values which are used
as an indicator of relative transport
costs for parcel transport between the pair of repositories, namely the
receiving repository and the bundle destination
repository.
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The central system circuitry then operates as represented by a step 850 to
determine a relative cost value for
the transport of the incoming parcel between the receiving repository and the
bundle destination repository based on
the transport base values associated with the lowest base bundle destination
repository path. This corresponds in the
exemplary arrangement to a cumulative total sum of the transport base values
between each of the repositories along
the most direct bundle destination repository path. In the example represented
in Figure 62, this determined relative
transport cost corresponds to the cumulative total sum of the values between
the repositories along the lowest base
bundle destination repository path which is "26."
In some exemplary arrangements the calculations carried out by the central
system circuitry in step 850
may also include a determination of the relative cost of transport of the
incoming parcel based on calculations that
consider the economies of scale that are achieved when the incoming parcel is
transported as part of a bundle with
one or more other parcels. In the exemplary arrangement the central system
circuitry is operative to use the stored
data corresponding to the at least one parcel bundle quantity reduction value
in one or more calculations that
consider the bundle quantity that is associated with the particular outgoing
bundle being evaluated. In some
exemplary arrangements the bundle quantity may correspond to the number of
bundle parcels that are currently
included in the outgoing parcel bundle being evaluated. In other exemplary
arrangements the bundle quantity may
include calculations based on the number of parcels that would be included in
the outgoing bundle if the incoming
parcel were included in the outgoing bundle. In still other arrangements other
parameters such as weight, volume,
declared value or other factors may be included in the calculation of the data
corresponding to the incoming parcel
cost of transport value. Of course these approaches are exemplary and other
arrangements other approaches may be
used.
In some exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry is operative to
determine the data
corresponding to the respective incoming parcel cost of transport value
responsive at least in part to the data
corresponding to the at least one stored parcel bundle quantity reduction
value and the data corresponding to the
bundle quantity for the respective outgoing bundle, in addition to the data
corresponding to the respective transport
base values along the lowest base path between the receiving repository and
the bundle destination repository.
The central system circuitry is then operative as represented in Figure 63 to
determine data that corresponds
to a relative transport cost to transport the incoming parcel from the bundle
destination repository U to the
destination repository associated with the incoming parcel, repository D. This
is represented in the logic flow by a
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step 852. To calculate the data corresponding to the relative cost of
transport between repositories U and D, the
central system circuitry then operates in accordance with its circuit
executable instructions to determine the lowest
base incoming parcel destination repository path between the repository U, to
which the incoming parcel would be
directed if included in the parcel bundle currently being evaluated, and the
incoming parcel destination repository D
to which the incoming parcel will eventually be directed for purposes of
delivery to its final delivery address.
In the exemplary arrangement the determination of the lowest base incoming
parcel destination repository
path by the central system circuitry includes determination of a path between
the respective bundle destination
repository U and the incoming parcel destination repository D. In this
exemplary arrangement the lowest base path
is defined as the path that produces the lowest cumulative total sum of the
transport base values between successive
.. immediately adjacent intermediate repositories between the bundle
destination repository and the incoming parcel
destination repository. As represented by the dash line in Figure 63 the most
direct incoming parcel destination
repository path extends through successive immediately adjacent intermediate
repositories (S, P, N, K, H and G).
This determined lowest base incoming parcel destination repository path is
determined by the central system
circuitry based on the cumulative sum of the transport base values along the
path being "21." This value is lower
.. than the sum of the stored transport base values for than any other
available transport path through intermediate
repositories between the repositories U and D.
In the exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry is then operated as
represented in a step 854 to
determine the data corresponding to the transport base values that corresponds
to the transport of the parcel between
each of the repositories along the lowest base incoming parcel destination
repository path. As mentioned, these
transport base values can be added together to obtain a relative cost of
transport between depository U and
depository D.
In some exemplary arrangements the calculation the relative cost of transport
calculation carried out in step
854 may also include determination of bundle quantities and application of the
stored parcel bundle quantity
.. reduction values to determine the relative cost of transport of the
incoming parcel from the respective bundle
destination repository to the incoming parcel destination repository. This may
be done in situations where the
central system circuitry is configured to operate to consider the current
outgoing bundles and respective bundle
quantities that are present in the bundle destination repository. Such
calculations may be conducted based on the
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bundle parcels that are currently located in the bundle destination repository
at the time of the calculation, as well as
additional parcels that are currently designated to be incoming parcels to the
bundle destination repository and
which will be included in the respective outgoing bundles from the bundle
destination repository. Of course in other
arrangements the quantity of bundle parcels that will be present in outgoing
bundles from the bundle destination
repository at the time of making the calculation of the relative cost of
transport of the incoming parcel from the
bundle destination repository to its incoming parcel destination repository
may not be reliably calculated. This may
be due to delivery time factors applicable to bundle parcels in the bundle
destination repository, changes in
incoming and outgoing bundle parcels from the bundle destination repository
that occur before the incoming parcel
would arrive, and other parameters which may cause the bundle parcels in
outgoing bundles that are present in the
bundle destination repository to change before the incoming parcel would
arrive at the bundle destination repository.
As a result the central system circuitry may be operative to not make
calculations based on reductions in cost of
transport from the bundle destination repository to the incoming parcel final
destination repository. Alternatively in
some arrangements the central system circuitry may make calculations that
estimate probable bundle quantities that
will be outgoing from the bundle destination repository based on stored
historical data and may apply stored data
related to the one or more parcel bundle quantity reduction values to produce
the estimated bundle cost of transport
values for the incoming parcel from the bundle destination repository to the
incoming parcel destination repository.
Of course it should be understood that these approaches are exemplary and
other arrangements other approaches
may be used.
Further it should be appreciated that while in the exemplary arrangement the
central system circuitry is
operative to carry out calculations that are operative to decrease the
relative cost of transport values calculated based
on increased actual or projected bundle quantities, in other arrangements
other approaches may be used. These may
include increasing the estimated cost of transport values based on actual
bundle quantities and/or projected bundle
quantities not being at certain stored threshold values. Thus the central
system circuitry may operate to utilize
certain transport base value costs between repositories that are subject to
being increased in making specific parcel
transport calculations in situations where the incoming parcel transport cost
calculations indicate that the incoming
parcel will be transported with less than a threshold number of other parcels
to a subsequent repository. It should be
understood that in some arrangements the data corresponding to parcel bundle
quantity reduction values may operate
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as factors which cause escalation of base transport values or other values in
the relative cost of transport
calculations. Of course these approaches are exemplary and in other
arrangements other approaches may be used.
The exemplary central system circuitry then operates in accordance with its
circuit executable instructions
to determine the stored data corresponding to a parcel handling cost. This is
represented by a step 856. In the
exemplary arrangement stored parcel handling base values correspond to data
that has been determined as associated
with at least one cost that is incurred by the system operator in connection
with at least one of placing a parcel in or
removing a parcel from the intermediate repository into which the incoming
parcel will be placed and subsequently
removed for transport if the parcel is moved with the bundle being analyzed.
In the example represented in Figures
62 and 63 there is data corresponding to an associated parcel handling base
value associated with the repository U.
As previously mentioned the parcel handling base value may correspond to a set
handling cost value that is
associated with each repository in the system. Alternatively in other
arrangements the parcel handling base values
may be different values for different repositories based on different
associated costs. Of course these approaches are
exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be used.
In the exemplary logic flow the central system circuitry is then operative to
calculate a cumulative total
sum of the transport base values and the parcel handling base value associated
with the transport that would occur if
the incoming parcel is moved with the bundle being analyzed. In the example
these would be a calculated relative
cost of transport value that corresponds to the cumulative sum of the
transport base values associated with the lowest
base bundle destination repository path from receiving repository M to bundle
destination repository U, and then the
cumulative sum of the transport base values associated with the lowest base
incoming parcel destination repository
path from the bundle destination repository U to the incoming parcel
destination repository D. As previously
discussed in some arrangements the central system circuitry may operate to
adjust the transport base values and/or
cumulative sum of the transport base values, based on bundle quantity data and
at least one stored bundle parcel
quantity reduction value. In some arrangements such calculated reductions that
account for economies of scale may
be applied in the cost calculations from the receiving repository to the
bundle destination repository only, or may be
applied in a manner like that previously discussed to both the relative cost
of transport between the receiving
repository and the bundle destination repository, as well as from the bundle
destination repository to the incoming
parcel destination repository. Additionally the parcel handling base value
associated with placing the incoming
parcel into the repository U and/or removing it from that repository for
further transport would be added to the
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cumulative sum of both sets of transport base values to calculate data
corresponding to the relative cost of transport
value associated with including the incoming parcel with the outgoing bundle
to the bundle destination repository U.
This data corresponding to the relative cost of transport value is calculated
and stored in correlated relation with
respective bundle identifying data in the at least one record in the at least
one data store as represented by step 858.
The central system circuitry then operates as represented by a step 860 to
make a determination concerning
whether all the outgoing parcel bundles that are currently located in the
receiving repository have been evaluated for
purposes of determining the relative cost of transporting the incoming parcel
with the respective bundle. If it is
determined in step 860 that all the bundles have not yet been evaluated, the
logic operates to select another one of
the outgoing parcel bundles for which relative transport cost data has not yet
been determined. The process is then
repeated in a like manner for the other parcel bundles.
Figures 64 and 65 graphically represent the steps carried out by the central
system circuitry in connection
with the calculation of the relative cost of transport value for transporting
the incoming parcel with another outgoing
parcel bundle in the receiving repository M. In the example represented in
these Figures the relative cost of
transporting the incoming parcel is calculated in connection with a bundle
that has a bundle destination repository I.
.. In this example the lowest base bundle destination repository path is
calculated between the receiving repository M
and the bundle destination repository I as represented in Figure 64. The
central system circuitry would then operate
to determine the respective transport base values that corresponds to
transport between each of the repositories along
the lowest base bundle destination repository path. Further in some exemplary
arrangements calculations including
the respective bundle quantity of parcel bundles in the respective outgoing
bundle from repository M to repository I,
and the stored data corresponding to the at least one parcel bundle quantity
reduction value may be included as
factors in the relative transport cost calculation.
The central system circuitry is then operative to determine the lowest base
incoming parcel destination
repository path between the bundle destination repository I and the incoming
parcel destination repository D. This
is graphically represented in Figure 65. The central system circuitry then
operates in a manner like that previously
discussed to determine the respective transport base values that corresponds
to transport between each of the
repositories along the lowest base incoming parcel destination repository
path. Further in some exemplary
arrangements the transport base values and/or the sum thereof may be adjusted
by the central system circuitry
through calculations that consider the projected parcel bundle quantity and
the stored at least one parcel bundle
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quantity reduction value. Further in this example the central system circuitry
is operative to include in the
calculation of the relative cost of transport, data corresponding to relative
parcel transport cost, the at least one
parcel handling base value associated with moving the incoming parcel into
and/or out of the bundle destination
repository I. In the exemplary arrangement the determined values corresponding
to transport base values and the
parcel handling base value would be summed and the cost of transport value
stored in at least one record for the
transport of the incoming parcel with the outgoing bundle having the bundle
destination repository Tin a step 858.
Figures 66 and 67 graphically represent the relative transport cost
calculation that is associated with
transporting the incoming parcel which has a parcel destination repository D
in connection with a bundle in the
receiving repository that has a bundle destination repository AA. Again in
this situation the central system circuitry
operates in accordance with its circuit executable instructions to determine
the lowest base bundle destination
repository path between the receiving repository M and the bundle destination
repository AA of the bundle being
evaluated. The central system circuitry then determines the respective
transport base values that corresponds to
transport along this lowest base bundle destination repository path. Further
in some exemplary arrangements
calculations of the relative cost of transport may be further based on
determined bundle quantity data and stored at
least one parcel bundle quantity reduction values. This is represented in
Figure 66.
As represented in Figure 67 the central system circuitry then determines the
lowest base incoming parcel
destination repository path from the bundle destination repository AA, to the
incoming parcel destination repository
D. The respective transport base values that correspond to transport between
each of the repositories along the
lowest base incoming parcel destination repository path are determined. In
some arrangements the transport base
values and/or the sum thereof may be adjusted based on projected bundle
quantity data and stored parcel bundle
quantity reduction values. The at least one parcel handling base value
associated with handling the parcel at
repository AA is also included in the exemplary relative cost of transport
value calculation. The calculated relative
cost of transport value data based on the determined transport base values and
parcel handling base value for the
bundle having the bundle destination repository AA would also be stored in at
least one record in the at least one
.. data store in correlated relation with data corresponding to the bundle as
represented by step 858. As can be
appreciated this process would be repeated until all of the existing bundles
in the receiving repository have been
evaluated in this manner and the corresponding determined relative cost of
transport values associated with
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transporting the incoming parcel with each of the existing outgoing bundles
have been stored in at least one record
in the at least one data store.
It should be mentioned that in some exemplary arrangements it may not be
necessary for the central system
circuitry to calculate a cost of transport value for every one of the outgoing
bundles. In some arrangements the
central system circuitry may do a partial calculation associated with a
respective parcel bundle, and determine at an
interim step that the associated cost is already higher than a previously
evaluated bundle for which the cost of
transport value has already been calculated. The central system circuitry may
rule out the bundle from consideration
at this interim stage, without fully completing the relative cost of transport
value calculation. If course this approach
is exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be used.
Once it is determined in step 860 that all of the existing outgoing bundles
have been evaluated, the
exemplary central system circuitry is then operative to determine data
corresponding to a relative cost of transport
value associated with transporting the incoming parcel directly from the
receiving repository to the incoming parcel
destination repository. This calculation is graphically represented in Figure
68. As represented in the logic flow by
a step 862 the central system circuitry operates in accordance with its
circuit executable instructions to determine the
lowest base incoming parcel destination repository path between the receiving
repository M and the incoming parcel
destination repository D. In this exemplary arrangement the central system
circuitry may be operative to determine
the lowest base path based on the lowest cumulative total of the transport
base values from the respective receiving
repository and incoming parcel destination repository and between each
successive immediately adjacent
intermediate repository along the determined lowest base path.
In this exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry is operative to
determine the respective transport
base values that correspond to transport between each of the repositories
along the lowest base incoming parcel
destination repository path. This is represented in the logic flow by a step
864. It should be mentioned that although
the lowest base path graphically represented in Figure 68 includes
intermediate repositories F, A, and B, another
alternative lowest base path also produces the same cumulative total sum of
transport base values (the path through
intermediate repositories L, I, H, and G). Of course as can be appreciated,
when the lowest base path corresponds to
two or more different paths, they may be equivalent in the relative cost
calculation of some exemplary arrangements,
and in such cases it may not matter which of the paths is selected for
purposes of the calculation. In alternative
exemplary arrangements where the respective bundle quantity data for the
bundle in which the incoming parcel
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would be transported and stored bundle parcel quantity reduction value data is
considered, the otherwise equivalent
lowest base paths may produce different relative cost of transport values. In
such circumstances the central system
circuitry may be operative to calculate the relative cost of transport values
for each path in a manner like that
previously discussed and select the lowest base path as the one that produces
the lowest relative transport cost due to
bundle parcel quantities or other parameters being considered in the
calculations. Of course this approach is
exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be used.
In the exemplary arrangement the logic flow then proceeds as represented by a
step 866 to calculate the
cost of transport value associated with the relative cost of parcel transport
directly between the receiving repository
M and the incoming parcel destination repository D. In exemplary arrangements
the relative cost associated with
parcel transport between the pair of repositories is again calculated as a
function which is the sum of the plurality of
the transport base values between repositories along with the lowest base
path. It should be noted that in calculating
the values corresponding to the relative cost of direct transport, no value
corresponding to a parcel handling base
value needs to be included in the calculation. This is because the incoming
parcel does not have to be placed in and
removed from any intermediate repository to reach its respective final
destination repository. Of course as
previously discussed the bundle quantity associated with the number of bundle
parcels included in the direct
transport of the incoming parcel may be considered in the calculations by the
central system circuitry along with the
at least one bundle parcel quantity reduction value that is stored in the at
least one data store. Further as represented
by step 866 the calculated cost of transport value corresponding to relative
transport cost directly between the
repository M in the repository D is stored in records included in the at least
one data store along with the records
regarding calculated relative transport cost values associated with the
outgoing parcel bundles.
As can be appreciated in some exemplary arrangements it may be sufficient for
purposes of system
operation to utilize only relative cost values that are determined based on
the transport base values between adjacent
repositories along a lowest base transport path (plus the determined parcel
handling base value if applicable) for
purposes of calculating a relative cost for transporting the parcel between
selected repositories. In the exemplary
arrangement it is not necessary to calculate an actual cost of transporting
the parcel for purposes of making a
bundling determination. This is because in making a bundling determination it
may be sufficient to calculate and
evaluate only the relative costs of transporting an incoming parcel in a
manner that will be necessary if the parcel is
transported with a respective outgoing bundle to the respective bundle
destination repository and then to its
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respective final destination repository. Of course in some arrangements the
relative transport cost may be
determined based on actual or estimated bundle quantities as well as weight,
volume, declared values or other
factors. Of course the approach described is exemplary and in other
arrangements actual cost values may be
calculated and used for making bundling determination.
In the exemplary arrangement after the cost of transport values have been
calculated that correspond to the
relative cost of transport of the incoming parcel with each appropriate
outgoing bundle in the receiving repository,
as well as the calculated relative cost value associated with direct transport
of the parcel from the receiving
repository to the incoming parcel destination repository, the central system
circuitry operates as represented in a step
868 to determine the lowest relative cost value. As can be appreciated the
determination of the lowest relative cost
of transport value corresponds to a path that can be used for transport of the
currently incoming parcel to the
receiving repository, that will cause the system operator to incur the lowest
parcel transport cost to have the
incoming parcel reach its corresponding destination repository. Of course as
previously discussed the lowest
relative cost of transport value may have been previously determined as
associated with an outgoing bundle that has
the same bundle destination repository as the final destination repository of
the incoming parcel, or on the basis that
an outgoing bundle has at least one bundle parcel already included therein
that has the same final destination
repository as the incoming parcel. As can further be appreciated from the
foregoing discussion, in some situations
the lowest relative cost of transport value may correspond to including the
incoming parcel in a bundle such that the
incoming parcel is transported with the bundle to the respective bundle
destination repository. In other situations the
lowest cost value may correspond to transporting the incoming parcel directly
from the receiving repository to the
incoming parcel destination repository, in which situation the central system
circuitry operates to cause the incoming
parcel to be included in a new bundle which has the incoming parcel
destination repository as the bundle destination
repository.
Based on the determined lowest relative cost of transport value, the central
system circuitry is then
operative to determine the outgoing parcel bundle associated with the
calculated lowest cost of transport value. This
is represented by a step 870. In the exemplary arrangement when the lowest
determined relative cost of transport
value is associated with an existing outgoing parcel bundle, the central
system circuitry is operative responsive to
the stored record data to identify the data corresponding to the existing
outgoing parcel bundle. In situations where
the lowest relative cost of transport value is associated with starting a new
outgoing parcel bundle that initially will
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include only the incoming parcel, the central system circuitry is operative as
later discussed, to generate a new
parcel bundle record that includes the data corresponding to the incoming
parcel, its associated parcel identifier, the
receiving repository and the incoming parcel destination repository as the
bundle destination repository. Of course
in other situations the selected parcel bundle may be based on the prior
determination by the central system circuitry
that the existing outgoing bundle has a bundle destination repository that
corresponds to the incoming parcel
destination repository, or that a bundle includes a bundle parcel that has a
final destination repository that is the
same as the incoming parcel destination repository. Of course this approach is
exemplary and in other arrangements
other approaches may be used.
As further represented by step 872, in situations where the lowest relative
cost of transport value is
determined to be incurred by adding the incoming parcel to an existing bundle,
the central system circuitry further
operates in accordance with its circuit executable instructions to determine a
compartment in which the incoming
parcel may be placed for purposes of transporting it as part of an existing
outgoing bundle. In exemplary
arrangements the central system circuitry may operate responsive to the stored
parcel bundle record data associated
with the existing selected bundle to determine a compartment in the receiving
repository in which the bundle parcels
are currently positioned. Further in exemplary arrangements the central system
circuitry may operate in a manner
like that previously discussed to determine if there is a suitable volume
available in the compartment in which the
parcel bundles of the designated outgoing parcel are currently located to
receive the incoming parcel therein. In
some exemplary arrangements where it is determined that insufficient space is
available in the compartment housing
the selected bundle to receive the additional incoming parcel, the central
system circuitry may operate to identify an
available empty compartment in which to store the incoming parcel. The central
system circuitry then operates to
include the data corresponding to the incoming parcel and the additional
parcel compartment in which the incoming
parcel will be stored, in the selected bundle record.
In situations where the incoming parcel to the receiving repository is to be
included in the new bundle that
is started and which includes the incoming parcel, the central system
circuitry is operative in accordance with its
circuit executable instructions to generate a new bundle record corresponding
to a new bundle as represented by a
step 900. In exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry also operates
to generate a new parcel bundle
record in this manner in situations where there is an incoming parcel to the
receiving repository, but there are no
prior outgoing parcel bundles. The exemplary system circuitry then operates to
determine a suitable empty
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compartment in the receiving repository in which to start the new outgoing
parcel bundle. This is represented by
step 902. The data corresponding to the compartment for the new parcel bundle
is stored in the new parcel bundle
record that is generated and stored in the at least one data store.
After making the determination of the particular compartment in which the
incoming parcel is to be stored,
the central system circuitry then operates to cause the lock that controls the
door to the selected compartment to be
enabled to be changed from the locked condition to the unlocked condition.
This is represented by a step 904. This
may be carried out in a manner like that previously discussed in connection
with the other described parcel
repositories. The item handler is then enabled to open the corresponding door
and place the incoming parcel into the
compartment in the receiving repository. In the exemplary arrangement the
central system circuitry is then operated
as represented by a step 906 to verify that the incoming parcel is in the
repository compartment. This may be done
through the use of sensors like those previously discussed, that can detect
the presence of the incoming parcel within
the selected compartment. Alternatively or in addition the central system
circuitry may receive data corresponding
to inputs through input devices that are indicative that the parcel has been
placed in the designated compartment. In
some exemplary arrangements this may include receiving messages that are sent
wirelessly from an item handler's
contact device that are indicative that the parcel has been placed within the
designated compartment. Further in
exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry and/or repository control
circuitry may operate to assure that
after placement of the parcel in the designated compartment, the item handler
closes the respective compartment
door so that the clock is returned to the locked condition. The exemplary
system circuitry then operates to cause the
bundle record to include the data regarding the inclusion of the incoming
parcel in the new parcel bundle. This is
represented by step 908. Of course these approaches are exemplary and in other
arrangements other arrangements
may be used.
In exemplary arrangements in which the incoming parcel is to be added to an
existing parcel bundle the
central system circuitry operates to determine the selected bundle to which
the incoming parcel is to be added as
represented in step 870, and to determine the compartment or compartments in
the receiving repository in which the
bundle parcels of the existing bundle are currently stored as represented in
step 872. The central system circuitry
then operates in a manner like that previously described to unlock the
particular compartment in which the incoming
parcel is to be included. As previously discussed this may be done after
carrying out circuit executable instructions
to verify that there is available space in the compartment for the incoming
parcel. The central system circuitry then
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operates to cause the lock associated with the door for the compartment in
which the incoming parcel is to be placed,
to be enabled to be unlocked. This is represented by step 874. The item
handler is then enabled to open the door of
the respective compartment and place the incoming parcel therein. The central
system circuitry then operates in a
manner like that previously discussed to verify that the incoming parcel has
been placed within the designated
compartment in the receiving repository. This may be done through the receipt
of signals from sensors, input
devices, cameras and/or inputs from the item handler contact device. Of course
it should be understood that these
approaches are exemplary and other arrangements other approaches may be used.
After receiving the incoming parcel into the compartment of the receiving
repository, the central system
circuitry is operative to update the record data corresponding to the
respective bundle to indicate that the incoming
parcel has been included as a parcel bundle in the respective bundle. This is
represented by a step 878. Of course it
should be understood that once the incoming parcel has been included with an
outgoing parcel bundle for transport,
the item handler may have additional incoming parcels that will be received in
the receiving repository. The central
system circuitry is operative in accordance with its circuit executable
instructions to carry out determinations like
those previously described to determine the outgoing parcel bundles from the
repository to which further incoming
parcels will be added based on the calculated relative transport costs to
transport each incoming parcel to its
respective incoming parcel destination repository.
As previously discussed, in some exemplary arrangements the at least one data
store in operative
connection with the central system circuitry includes record data
corresponding to at least one bundle transport
parcel threshold value. The at least one bundle transport parcel threshold
value corresponds to a magnitude of one
.. or more parcel associated parameters or values which is usable to determine
when a parcel bundle has reached a
designated number of parcels, weight, volume, or other properties which the
system operator has determined is
indicative that the bundle should be transported. In some exemplary
arrangements the bundle transport parcel
threshold value may correspond to a particular number of parcels that may be
included in a bundle before it is
considered necessary to have an item handler transport the bundle. In the
exemplary arrangement after a decision is
made to include an incoming parcel to a receiving repository in a particular
bundle, the central system circuitry
operates as represented by step 882 to determine if the plurality of parcels
included in the bundle to which an
incoming parcel has been added, has a predetermined relationship to the bundle
transport parcel threshold value. In
the exemplary arrangement a determination is made as to the number of parcels
now in the selected parcel bundle to
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which incoming parcel has been added. A determination is then made as
represented by a step 882 concerning
whether the number of parcels in the parcel bundle is at or above the bundle
transport parcel threshold value. Of
course as previously discussed, other parameters such as weight, volume,
declared loss values or other factors may
be included in determining if the parcels in the bundle have the predetermined
relationship to the stored bundle
transport parcel threshold value.
If in step 882 the determination is made that the parcels in the selected
bundle to which the parcel has been
added do not have the predetermined relationship to the stored bundle
transport parcel threshold value, the central
system circuitry operates to return to the ready state to receive information
about additional incoming parcels in a
manner like that previously discussed. If however the determination is made in
step 882 that the selected bundle
with the addition of the incoming parcel has the predetermined relationship
with the bundle transport parcel
threshold value, the central system circuitry then operates in accordance with
its circuit executable instructions to
select a bundle handler at a step 884. This may be done in a manner like that
previously discussed in connection
with offering and assigning a parcel transport assignment to a selected item
carrier. The central system circuitry is
then operative to determine from the data stored in the at least one data
store, the handler device contact data
associated with the contact device of the particular selected item handler.
This may include for example,
determining a telephone number or email address associated with the contact
device of the particular item handler
who is to be requested to transport the bundle from the receiving repository
to the bundle destination repository.
This is represented by a step 886.
In the exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry is then operative to
communicate with the item
handler contact device. The communication that is carried out with the item
handler contact device includes data
corresponding to instructions to transport the bundle parcels in the bundle
from the receiving repository to the
bundle destination repository. This communication of such instructions is
represented by step 888. In a manner like
that previously discussed, the exemplary system circuitry is further operative
to communicate with the item handler
contact device to provide credentials such as a one time access code, token
data or other authenticating information
that will enable the item handler to access the compartment or compartments of
the receiving repository in which the
bundle parcels of the bundle are currently located. This is represented by a
step 890.
The exemplary central system circuitry may then operate in a manner like that
previously discussed to
enable the item handler to access the particular compartment or compartments
in which the bundle parcels to be
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transported are located in the receiving repository. This may include
receiving identifying data from the item
handler through at least one input device. Such identifying data may include
for example, credential information,
data corresponding to a one time access code, or other information that
enables the authentication of the item
handler as the individual authorized to access the parcels in the compartment.
Responsive to authenticating the data
provided by the item handler, the central system circuitry is operative to
unlock the lock or locks as appropriate to
provide the item handler with access to the compartments housing the parcels
in the parcel bundle. This is
represented by a step 892. In exemplary arrangements the central system
circuitry may operate in ways like those
previously discussed to verify the removal of the parcels from the
compartment, document the taking of the parcels
by the item handler, track the transport of the parcels in the custody of the
item handler, guide the item handler to
the bundle destination repository, and provide access to the item handler to
the bundle destination repository. This
is represented collectively in the logic flow by step 894.
It should be understood that in exemplary arrangements the steps carried out
by the central system circuitry
previously described in connection with receiving the incoming parcel into the
receiving repository, may also be
carried out at the bundle destination repository for each of the parcels
included in the transported parcel bundle.
These actions are carried out responsive to operation of the central system
circuitry to assure that the appropriate
parcels that require further transport from the bundle destination repository
are each included with other outgoing
parcels in a further outgoing bundle from the bundle destination repository.
The process of including appropriate
incoming parcels in the outgoing bundles helps to assure that the transport of
each of the parcels to the respective
parcel destination repository and the respective parcel final delivery
address, is accomplished in a prompt and cost-
effective manner. Of course these approaches are exemplary and in other
arrangements other approaches may be
used.
In exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry is also operative to
determine the need for a parcel
bundle to be moved based on time limitations that require a particular parcel
that is included in a bundle to be
transported towards its respective parcel final delivery address. This may be
done for example in order to assure
that the parcel is delivered at its final delivery address within the required
time as established by a service level
agreement or other commitment for delivery that has been made by the operator
of the system. As previously
discussed, in exemplary arrangements the at least one data store in operative
connection with the central system
circuitry includes record data corresponding to a parcel final delivery time
that is associated with each respective
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parcel identifier for which a delivery time commitment has been made. Further
in the exemplary arrangement the at
least one data store includes data corresponding to a remaining time threshold
value. In exemplary arrangements the
remaining time threshold value may be a value that is applicable to numerous
different parcels or may be a
calculated value that is applicable to respective parcels that are in the
process of being transported through the
.. system.
In the exemplary arrangement the central system circuitry is operative to
monitor the data corresponding to
the parcel final delivery times and to make determinations as to whether the
remaining parcel delivery time
associated with a respective parcel identifier has a predetermined
relationship with a remaining time threshold value.
The determined existence of the predetermined relationship is indicative that
the particular parcel is required to
undergo movement towards its final parcel delivery address in order to assure
the fulfillment of delivery
commitments that have been made. The exemplary central system circuitry
operates as represented in Figure 59 to
select a particular parcel for analysis as represented by step 910. The
central system circuitry is then operative to
make a determination of the parcel final delivery time associated with the
parcel identifier for the selected parcel.
This is represented by step 912. As previously discussed the parcel final
delivery time may include a set time by
which the parcel is required to be delivered at its final destination address
or other location. Alternatively the final
delivery time may include a time window from a current time by the end of
which time window the particular parcel
is required to be at its final delivery address. Of course in other
arrangements other delivery time based values may
be used.
The exemplary central circuitry is then operative to compare the determined
parcel final delivery time and
the stored remaining time threshold value or values that are applicable to the
particular parcel. This is represented
by a step 914. As represented by step 916 the central system circuitry is then
operative to determine if the final
delivery time for the parcel has a predetermined relationship with the at
least one remaining time threshold value.
For example in some exemplary arrangements the central system circuitry may
operate to determine responsive to
the clock function in operative connection with the central circuitry, if the
remaining time for delivery of the
respective parcel at its final delivery address is at or below a remaining
time threshold value that is applicable to the
particular parcel.
If it is determined in a step 916 that the remaining time threshold value does
not have the predetermined
relationship with the parcel final delivery time, the central system circuitry
then proceeds to continue to select and
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analyze the data associated with additional parcels and determine whether the
respective time for final delivery may
necessitate prompt parcel movement of the respective parcel. If however in
step 916 it is determined that the
relationship between the parcel delivery time value and the remaining time
threshold value is such that prompt
parcel movement is required, the central system circuitry then operates as
represented in a step 918 to determine the
particular parcel bundle in which the parcel is currently located. In
exemplary arrangements the central system
circuitry is further operative to determine the particular repository in which
the bundle is located. Steps are then
carried out in a manner like that previously discussed to arrange for an item
handler to transport the parcel bundle
which includes the parcel to the bundle destination. The instructions to a
selected item handler to carry out such
transport helps to assure that each bundle and each respective parcel is
moving towards its respective final parcel
destination in a manner that will ensure on time delivery. Further in other
exemplary arrangements the central
system circuitry may operate to cause a particular parcel to be removed by an
item handler from a bundle for
individualized handling in situations where the remaining time for delivery
has reached a critical value. This may be
carried out by the central system circuitry instructing an item carrier to
transport such a critical time parcel from the
repository in which it is currently located, to another repository that is
closer to the final parcel delivery address
and/or in critical situations to the final delivery address of the parcel. Of
course it should be understood that these
approaches are exemplary and in other arrangements other approaches may be
used.
Thus the exemplary arrangements described herein achieve improved operation,
eliminate difficulties
encountered in the use of prior devices and systems, and achieve the useful
results described herein.
In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity
and understanding. However
no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom because such terms are
used for descriptive purposes and are
intended to be broadly construed. Moreover the descriptions and illustrations
herein are by way of examples and the
inventive features are not limited to the exact features shown and described.
Further in the following claims any feature described as a means for
performing a function shall be
construed as encompassing any means known to those skilled in the art as being
capable of carrying out the recited
function, and shall not be deemed limited to only the particular means shown
or described for performing the recited
function in the foregoing description, or mere equivalents thereof.
It should be understood that features and/or relationships associated with one
arrangement can be combined
with features and/or relationships from another arrangement. That is, various
features and/or relationships from
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various arrangements can be combined in further arrangements. The inventive
scope of the disclosure is not limited
only to the arrangements that have been shown and described.
In the foregoing description the referenced circuit executable instructions or
other stored data shall be
deemed to be capable of being included in a non-transitory computer readable
medium. The term "non-transitory"
.. with regard to a computer readable medium is intended to exclude only the
subject matter of a transitory signal, per
se, where the medium itself may be transitory. The term "non-transitory" is
not intended to exclude any other form
of computer readable medium, including but not limited to a medium comprising
data or executable instructions that
are only temporarily stored or stored in a temporary manner no matter the
duration of such storage.
Having described the features, discoveries and principles of the exemplary
arrangements, the manner in
.. which they are constructed and operated, and the advantages and useful
results attained, the new and useful
structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts, combinations, systems,
equipment, operations, methods,
processes and relationships are set forth in the appended claims.
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