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US 12,482,320 B2Granted
System for receiving delivery items and method therefor
AssigneeJames Kenneth Ivarson
InventorJames Kenneth Ivarson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A parcel-lock system and methods for securely receiving delivery items or parcels. The system has an electronically controllable parcel-lock on a door of an enclosure. The parcel lock stores one or more unlocking codes such as QR codes or barcodes. When the parcel lock receives an access code matching one of the unlocking codes, the parcel lock unlocks the door to allow the deposition of the delivery items, and starts video-recording using a front and a rear camera thereof. The parcel lock also continuously plays a beeping sound during the time the door is open.
Claims16
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing for installing on a lockable door of an enclosure at an entrance thereof, the housing having a first side corresponding to an exterior of the enclosure and a second side corresponding to an interior of the enclosure;
- a front input structure, at least one of a front display for displaying instructions to a visitor, a front motion sensor, a first speaker, and a first microphone on the first side of the housing;
- a first imaging component, a rear display for displaying images captured by a third imaging component, a second speaker, a second microphone, and a rear input structure on the second side of the housing, the rear input structure comprising a fourth imaging component, a second keyboard, or a combination thereof;
- an actuation structure received in the housing for locking and unlocking the lockable door;
- and
- a control circuitry received in the housing for functionally coupling to the first imaging component, the front input structure, and the actuation structure, the control circuitry being configured for:
- receiving one or more codes (i) from the fourth imaging component scanning one or more optical codes that represent the one or more codes, (ii) from the second keyboard of the rear input structure via manual input of a user that represents the one or more codes, or (iii) from a combination thereof,
- generating a plurality of unlocking codes from the received one or more codes,
- storing the plurality of unlocking codes,
- receiving, after said storing the plurality ofunlocking codes, an access code from the visitor via the front input structure,
- determining that the access code corresponds to one of the stored plurality of unlocking codes,
- commanding the actuation structure to unlock the lockable door, and
- activating the first imaging component for monitoring the entrance and at least a first portion of the exterior of the enclosure adjacent a first side of the entrance,
- counting a predefined period of time since said unlocking the lockable door and restarting said counting when another access code corresponds to another one of said plurality of unlocking codes is received before said counting is completed, and
- starting an alarm if the lockable door remains unlocked after said counting is completed.
12 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving one or more codes via a rear input structure of an apparatus coupled to a lockable door of an enclosure at an entrance thereof, the rear input structure being on a second side of the apparatus corresponding to an interior of the enclosure;
- generating, by the apparatus, a plurality of unlocking codes from the received one or more codes;
- storing the plurality of unlocking codes in the apparatus;
- receiving, after said storing the plurality of unlocking codes, an access code from a visitor via a front input structure of the apparatus on a first side thereof corresponding to an exterior of the enclosure;
- determining, by the apparatus, that the access code corresponds to one of the stored plurality of unlocking codes;
- unlocking, by the apparatus, the lockable door;
- monitoring, by the apparatus, the entrance and at least a first portion of the exterior of the enclosure adjacent a first side of the entrance using a first imaging component installed on a first side of a housing of the apparatus corresponding to the interior of the enclosure;
- counting a predefined period of time since said unlocking the lockable door and restarting said counting when another access code corresponds to another one of said plurality of unlocking codes is received before said counting is completed;
- and
- starting an alarm if the lockable door remains unlocked after said counting is completed;
- wherein the rear input structure comprising a second imaging component, a keyboard, ora combination thereof;
- and
- wherein said receiving the one or more codes via the rear input structure of the apparatus comprises:
- receiving the one or more codes (i) from the second imaging component scanning one or more optical codes that represent the one or more codes, (ii) from the keyboard of the rear input structure via manual input of a user that represents the one or more codes or (iii) from a combination thereof.
11 more elements
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices comprising computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processing structure of an apparatus coupled to a lockable door of an enclosure at an entrance thereof to perform actions comprising:
- receiving one or more codes via a rear input structure of the apparatus, the rear input structure being on a second side of the apparatus corresponding to an interior of the enclosure;
- generating a plurality of unlocking codes from the received one or more codes;
- storing the plurality of unlocking codes in the apparatus;
- receiving, by the apparatus after said storing the plurality of unlocking codes, an access code from a visitor;
- determining, by the apparatus, that the access code corresponds to one of the stored plurality of unlocking codes;
- unlocking, by the apparatus, the lockable door;
- monitoring, by the apparatus, the entrance and at least a first portion of the exterior of the enclosure adjacent a first side of the entrance using a first imaging component installed on a first side of a housing of the apparatus corresponding to the interior of the enclosure;
- counting a predefined period of time since said unlocking the lockable door and restarting said counting when another access code corresponds to another one of said plurality of unlocking codes is received before said counting is completed;
- and
- starting an alarm if the lockable door remains unlocked after said counting is completed;
- wherein the rear input structure comprising a second imaging component, a keyboard, or a combination thereof;
- and
- wherein said receiving the one or more codes via the rear input structure of the apparatus comprises:
- receiving the one or more codes (i) from the second imaging component scanning one or more optical codes that represent the one or more codes, (ii) from the keyboard of the rear input structure via manual input of a user that represents the one or more codes, or (iii) from a combination thereof.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.