# US 2017/0287244 A1 · Compartment System

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- Number: US 2017/0287244 A1
- Document ID: US20170287244A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/627,205
- Filed: 2017-06-19
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-23
- Assignees: Deutsche Post AG
- Inventors: Jochen Jansen; Ramin Benz; Christoph Dautz; Christian Carstens; Dirk Schusdziara; Erwin Hirtreiter; Franz A. Schießl; Christian Eisenhart; Stanislav Bulygin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170287244A1

## CPC

- G07C 9/27: with central registration
- A47G 29/141: {comprising electronically controlled locking means}
- G06Q 10/0836: Recipient pick-ups
- G06Q 10/08365: {Deliveries to storage lockers}
- G06Q 20/0855: {involving a third party}
- G06Q 20/127: {Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation}
- G07C 9/00571: {operated by interacting with a central unit}
- G07C 9/00817: {where the code of the lock can be programmed}
- G07C 9/00896: {specially adapted for particular uses}
- G07F 5/26: Interlocks, e.g. for locking the doors of compartments other than that to be used
- A47G 2029/149: {with central server link}
- G06Q 10/083: Shipping
- G07C 2009/00833: {by code input from switches}
- G07C 2009/0092: {for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general}
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

Provided is a method involving obtaining an identifier at a control unit of a compartment system having compartments provided with respective locks and respective lock control units that are configured to communicate with the control unit; obtaining information indicating that one compartment has been closed, and causing storing of the identifier in the lock control unit assigned to the compartment. Also provided is a method comprising detecting, at a lock control unit assigned to a compartment of a compartment system comprising a control unit and compartments provided with respective locks and lock control units configured to communicate with the control unit, that the compartment has been closed; transmitting a piece of information identifying the lock control unit to the control unit if it has been detected that the compartment has been closed; obtaining an identifier from the control unit; and storing the identifier in the lock control unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory which contains program code, wherein the memory and the program code are configured to cause an apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control at least:
obtaining a first identifier, which is associated with at least one person, at a control unit of a compartment system which, in addition to the control unit, has a plurality of compartments provided with respective locks and lock control units which are respectively assigned to the compartments and are configured to communicate with the control unit,
obtaining, at the control unit, information indicating that one compartment of the plurality of compartments has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for the person has been placed in one compartment of the plurality of compartments and the compartment has been closed, and
causing, by the control unit, storing of the first identifier in the lock control unit assigned to the compartment, wherein the causing of the storing of the first identifier in the lock control unit assigned to the compartment is caused by the obtaining of the information indicating that the compartment of the plurality of compartments has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for the person has been placed in a compartment of the plurality of compartments and the compartment has been closed, or depends on further factors, in particular on the obtaining of information indicating that a particular interaction with a user interface of the compartment system has taken place.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information indicating that the compartment of the plurality of compartments has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for the person has been placed in a compartment of the plurality of compartments and the compartment has been closed is obtained after the obtaining of a first identifier, which is associated with at least one person, at a control unit of a compartment system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, at a time at which the information indicating that the compartment has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed is obtained, no identifier associated with a person is stored in the lock control unit assigned to the compartment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
causing that before obtaining the information indicating that one compartment of the plurality of compartments has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed, at least this compartment is open.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
causing opening of at least one other compartment after obtaining the information indicating that one compartment of the plurality of compartments has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed and/or after the storing of the first identifier in the lock control unit assigned to the compartment has been caused, wherein no identifier associated with a person is stored in the lock control unit assigned to the other compartment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the compartments of the plurality of compartments have at least two different sizes, and wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
causing that, before obtaining the information indicating that one compartment of the plurality of compartments has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed, at least one compartment of each size is open.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
causing opening of one or more compartments, the respectively assigned lock control units of which store a piece of information indicating that they contain at least one shipment for collection and/or an identifier associated with a person, and
causing, for the lock control units of the one or more compartments, deleting of the information indicating that they contain at least one shipment for collection and/or the identifier associated with a person.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the causing of the opening and the causing of the deleting are carried out after the obtaining of the first identifier and before the obtaining of the information indicating that one compartment of the plurality of compartments has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for the person has been placed in one compartment of the plurality of compartments and the compartment has been closed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
causing storing of a piece of information indicating that the compartment contains at least one shipment for collection in the lock control unit assigned to the compartment.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
obtaining a second identifier, which is associated with at least one person and either matches the first identifier or differs from the latter, at the control unit,
causing opening of one or more compartments, in the respectively assigned lock control units of which the second identifier is stored, and causing deleting of the second identifier from one or more of the lock control units assigned to the one or more compartments.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
obtaining a third identifier, which is associated with at least one person and either matches the first identifier or differs from the latter, at the control unit, wherein at least one compartment for a plurality of placement and/or collection processes is statically allocated, rather than respectively dynamically allocated, to the third identifier by storing the third identifier for the plurality of placement and/or collection processes in the lock control unit assigned to this compartment, and
causing opening of this compartment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock control units communicate with the control unit via a bus, in particular a CAN bus.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein further lock control units are connectable to the bus for the purpose of communication with the control unit without the need for any changes to the control unit with regard to the communication.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the compartment system is part of a delivery and/or collection system comprising a plurality of delivery and/or collection containers associated with respective identifiers and a central unit for providing access authorizations associated with the respective identifiers for the delivery and/or collection containers, wherein the format of the first identifier corresponds to the format of the identifiers associated with the delivery and/or collection containers, and wherein by storing the first identifier in a lock control unit of the compartment system, the compartment assigned to the lock control unit can be handled from the point of view of the central unit like an individual delivery and/or collection container with regard to the access authorizations.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first identifier is included in access authorization information, which comprises one or more access authorization parameters including the first identifier, and whose authenticity and/or integrity can be checked using a key stored in the control unit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein for a plurality of different instances of the first identifier, which are obtainable at the control unit and are respectively associated with different persons, respectively associated different keys are stored in the control unit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the access authorization information containing the first identifier is provided by a delivery agent wishing to place at least one shipment for the person associated with the first identifier into the compartment system, or is provided by the person who is associated with the first identifier and wishes to place at least one shipment for collection by a delivery agent into the compartment system, or is provided by a device belonging to the delivery agent or to the person.

### Claim 18

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory which contains program code, wherein the memory and the program code are configured to cause an apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control at least:
detecting, at a lock control unit assigned to a compartment of a compartment system comprising a control unit and a plurality of compartments provided with respective locks and lock control units assigned to the compartments and configured to communicate with the control unit, that the compartment has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed,
transmitting at least a piece of information identifying the lock control unit to the control unit if it has been detected that the compartment has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed,
obtaining, upon the transmitting of at least the piece of information identifying the lock control unit to the control unit, a first identifier, which is associated at least with one person, from the control unit,
storing the first identifier in the lock control unit,
obtaining, by the lock control unit, a request to open the compartment assigned to the lock control unit if the lock control unit stores a piece of information indicating that the compartment contains a shipment for collection and/or an identifier associated with a person,
causing, by the lock control unit, opening of the compartment if the lock control unit stores a piece of information indicating that the compartment contains a shipment for collection and/or an identifier associated with a person, and
deleting, by the lock control unit, the information indicating that the compartment contains a shipment for collection and/or the identifier associated with the person.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the memory and the program code are further configured to cause the apparatus with the at least one processor to perform and/or control:
obtaining a second identifier, which is associated with at least one person and either matches the first identifier or differs from the latter, from the control unit, and
causing opening of the compartment and deleting of the first identifier from the lock control unit if the obtained second identifier matches the first identifier stored in the lock control unit.

### Claim 20

A method comprising:
detecting, at a lock control unit assigned to a compartment of a compartment system comprising a control unit and a plurality of compartments provided with respective locks and lock control units assigned to the compartments and configured to communicate with the control unit, that the compartment has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed,
transmitting at least a piece of information identifying the lock control unit to the control unit if it has been detected that the compartment has been closed or that at least one shipment from or for a person has been placed in the compartment and the compartment has been closed,
obtaining, upon the transmitting of at least the piece of information identifying the lock control unit to the control unit, a first identifier, which is associated at least with one person, from the control unit,
storing the first identifier in the lock control unit,
obtaining, by the lock control unit, a request to open the compartment assigned to the lock control unit if the lock control unit stores a piece of information indicating that the compartment contains a shipment for collection and/or an identifier associated with a person,
causing, by the lock control unit, opening of the compartment if the lock control unit stores a piece of information indicating that the compartment contains a shipment for collection and/or an identifier associated with a person, and
deleting, by the lock control unit, the information indicating that the compartment contains a shipment for collection and/or the identifier associated with the person.