Smart postal mailbox device
AssigneeTarik Ansari
InventorTarik Ansari
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Abstract
A smart postal mailbox device is disclosed that incorporates a camera and an imaging processing capability. When the device is in place inside a postal mailbox and is activated by a content element being placed in, or removed from, the mailbox, the camera obtains an image of the interior of the mailbox, which it then analyzes by first using pre-processing to correct for geometric distortion. The image is then decomposed using vision related algorithms into a discreet information dataset. This discrete data set is compared to previous data sets using a neural decision tree. If appropriate, the device transmits a message informing a remote user of the current state of the mailbox.
Claims19
A smart device, comprising:
- a camera;
- a microprocessor functionally connected to said camera and to a source of power and to a communications module;
- a software module, operable on said microprocessor, said camera, said microprocessor, said communications module, and said software module being located in a first housing;
- said first housing having an outer housing surface sized and shaped to conform to a mailbox inner surface;
- wherein said software module is configured to analyze the image of the contents of the mailbox, and wherein when a result of said image analysis is equal to or exceeds a predetermined level of importance of the contents of the mailbox, a message is transmitted by said microprocessor via said communications channel to an electronic device if said result of said image analysis indicates a change in a status, and if said change of status exceeds a user selected predetermined preference;
- wherein said user selected predetermined preference is based on a mail deposition event;
- wherein said user selected predetermined preference is based on a percentage change of said pixels of said image and on said preference of said result of analysis of said image of said contents of said mailbox.
A mail system, comprising:
- a camera;
- a microprocessor functionally connected to said camera and to a source of power and to a communications channel;
- a software module, operable on said microprocessor, wherein said camera, said microprocessor, said communications channel, said software module, and a motion sensor are functionally connected to said microprocessor and said source of power, and a wireless communications module functionally connected to said source of power, and functionally connected to said microprocessor, and being located in a first housing;
- a flashlight functionally connected to said microprocessor and said source of power, and located on an outer surface of said first housing;
- a second housing having an internal cavity;
- said first housing having an outer surface sized and shaped to conform to an inner surface of said internal cavity;
- a coupling device located on said outer surface of said first housing surface for attaching said first to said inner surface of said internal cavity;
- the motion sensor directed at an opening of said internal cavity;
- a result of an image analysis performed by said software module of an image of said internal cavity obtained using said camera;
- wherein said result of said image analysis is a level of importance;
- and a wireless message, comprising an electromagnetic signal comprising a digital encoding, emitted by said wireless communications module of a change of the level of importance if said change of level of importance exceeds a user selected change of level of importance;
- wherein said user selected level of importance is based on a percentage change of pixels of said image and on said preference of said result of analysis of said image of said contents of said mailbox.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.