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US 2016/0235236 A1Published application
Smart postal box in support of autonomous delivery nodes
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsCharles Calvin Byers, Gonzalo Salgueiro, Aparna Vellala, Salini Kumar Bogadapati, Jagadish Chandra Prasad Mynampati
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a controller determines a particular compartment of a smart postal box in which a package is to be delivered. The controller associates the particular compartment with an authorized entity. The controller provides the authorized entity access to the particular compartment by aligning rolling doors of the smart postal box with the particular compartment.
Claims25
A method, comprising:
- determining, by a controller, a particular compartment of a smart postal box in which a package is to be delivered;
- associating, by the controller, the particular compartment with an authorized entity;
- and
- providing, by the controller, the authorized entity access to the particular compartment by aligning rolling doors of the smart postal box with the particular compartment.
1 more element
A postal box, comprising:
- a plurality of shelves that define a plurality of internal compartments of the postal box;
- a plurality of rolling doors that, when actuated, are configured to expose a particular one of the compartments in which a package is to be delivered;
- and
- a controller configured to associate the particular compartment with an authorized entity and provide the authorized entity with access to the particular compartment by aligning the rolling doors with the particular compartment.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a controller, a compartment reservation request for a smart postal box;
- determining an arrival time of a package to be delivered to the smart postal box based on the compartment reservation request;
- selecting, by the controller, a particular compartment of the smart postal box to be reserved for the package based on the compartment reservation request and the arrival time of the package;
- detecting, by the controller, an approach of the package;
- and
- opening, by the controller, the particular compartment by aligning rolling doors of the postal box with the particular compartment, in response to the detected approach of the package.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.