Assistance system for the delivery of mail consignments
AssigneeInventio AG
InventorPaul Friedli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mail delivery assistance system comprises a letterbox for receiving mail consignments that has an opening and an electronic locking mechanism, a data processing device that comprises a database having an address file in which a respective addressee is associated with a building address, and a reader for capturing mail consignment data of a mail consignment. The reader, during operation, is communicatively connected to the data processing device in order to send the mail consignment data to the data processing device. The data processing device checks whether the mail consignment data match an addressee in the address file, and, if this is the case, generates a control signal for the locking mechanism in order to open the opening and to allow delivery of the mail consignment.
Claims24
A method for assisting with delivery of mail items to a mailbox associated with an addressee, utilizing a central server having a data processor and a database of addressee information containing associated mailboxes and a portable reader device utilized by a person delivering the mail items, the method comprising:
- utilizing the portable reader device to obtain location information corresponding to a vicinity of the mailbox the delivery person is near and to scan a mail item to obtain addressee information from the mail item;
- transmitting the location information and the obtained addressee information from the portable reader device to the central server;
- at the central server, utilizing the received location information and the addressee information database to check the obtained addressee information to determine whether the addressee is associated with a mailbox in the vicinity of the location information obtained by the portable reader and transmitted to the central server, and when the addressee is associated with a mailbox in the vicinity, the central server operating to transmit an unlock signal which operates to unlock the specified addressee's mailbox to allow the delivery person to deliver the mail item into the unlocked mailbox, and when the addressee is not associated with the mailbox in the vicinity, the central server operating to transmit a message which operates to inform the delivery person that the addressee is unknown for the location information.
A mail delivery assistance system operable to assist a delivery person in the delivery of mail items or packages, comprising:
- a mailbox associated with an addressee and operable to receive mail items, the mailbox including an opening and an electronic locking mechanism, wherein the electronic locking mechanism is operable to lock and unlock the opening;
- a portable reader device operated by the delivery person and operable to obtain location information corresponding to a vicinity of the mailbox the delivery person is near and to scan a mail item to obtain addressee information from the mail item, and further to transmit the location information and the obtained addressee information from the portable reader device to the central server;
- a central server including a database of addressee information and associated location information, operable to utilize the received location information and the addressee information database to check the obtained addressee information to determine whether the addressee is associated with a mailbox in the vicinity of the location information obtained by the portable reader and transmitted to the central server, and when the addressee is associated with a mailbox in the vicinity, the central server is further operable to transmit an unlock signal which operates to unlock the specified addressee's mailbox to allow the delivery person to deliver the mail item into the unlocked mailbox, and when the addressee is not associated with the mailbox in the vicinity, the central server operating to transmit a message which operates to inform the delivery person that the addressee is unknown for the location information.
A mailbox associated with an addressee and operable to receive mail items, comprising:
- an opening through which a mail item can be deposited in the mailbox;
- an electronic locking mechanism which locks the opening in a closed state and releases said opening in an open state, and which can be actuated by means of a control signal received from a central server, wherein a portable reader device is operable by a delivery person to obtain location information corresponding to a vicinity of the mailbox the delivery person is near and to scan a mail item to obtain addressee information from the mail item, and further to transmit the location information and the obtained addressee information from the portable reader device to the central server, wherein the central server includes a database of addressee information and associated location information, the central server is operable to utilize the received location information and the addressee information database to check the obtained addressee information to determine whether the addressee is associated with a mailbox in the vicinity of the location information obtained by the portable reader and transmitted to the central server, and when the addressee is associated with a mailbox in the vicinity, the central server is further operable to transmit an unlock signal which operates to unlock the specified addressee's mailbox to allow the delivery person to deliver the mail item into the unlocked mailbox, and when the addressee is not associated with the mailbox in the vicinity, the central server operating to transmit a message which operates to inform the delivery person that the addressee is unknown for the location information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.