Secured container system for unattended deliveries
AssigneeOcado Innovation Limited
InventorsPaul CLARKE, Andrew John INGRAM-TEDD, Pawel KAROLINCZAK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A secured container is can be configured to accept deliveries of goods, parcels or other items ordered by a user. The container is secured such that a delivery may be made whist the delivery location is unattended whilst ensuring the delivery is safe. The secured container may be accessed by autonomous vehicles such as drones or quadcopters or other flying platforms.
Claims17
A secured container for receiving deliveries of goods associated with a user, the secured container comprising:
- a cavity;
- a portion moveable from a first position in which the cavity is inaccessible, to a second position in which the cavity is externally accessible, the moveable portion being provided with releasable securing means;
- signal receiving means, the releasable securing means being configured to prevent the portion from being moved from the first position to the second position, the securing means being configured to be releasable on the signal receiving means receiving a signal from a transmitter associated with an autonomous delivery vehicle, at least a portion of the cavity being configured and arranged to be accessible to at least a portion of a delivery vehicle;
- and
- means for storing goods to be carried by the vehicle securely until accessed by a user, the releasable securing means being configured such that the portion will be moveable from the first position to the second position in response to the receiving means receiving a signal to accept the delivery from the autonomous vehicle in to the cavity, and such that the moveable portion will return from the second position to the first position once the delivery is complete and the delivery vehicle is no longer in a vicinity of the container.
A secured container according to claim configured to be mounted on a roof of a delivery location.
A secured container for receiving a delivery of goods for a user, the secured container comprising:
- a box having a releasably openable side;
- and
- a receiver, the side being operable in response to a received signal transmitted from a remote location, the container, when the side is in an open position being configured to accept a delivery, the container being configured as an integrally formed part of a delivery location such that when goods are located within the container they will be accessible only to a specific user associated with the delivery location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.