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US 2023/0267408 A1Published application
Receptacle for detecting delivery and retrieval events
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsRobert E. Dixon, Ryan Luckay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A receptacle for detecting delivery and retrieval events has a door sensor, an item sensor, a scanner, and a control unit for operating the sensors, and transmitting the sensor information for processing and analysis. A system can determine whether an event was a delivery or retrieval event based on sensor information and item tracking information. A system can further include an item configured to interact with a computing device.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- an item receptacle configured to receive an item, the item receptacle comprising:
- a plurality of sides enclosing an internal volume;
- a door moveably connected to one of the plurality of sides, the door configured to allow access to the internal volume;
- a light sensor configured to detect the amount of ambient light in the internal volume of the item receptacle;
- a delivery device configured to send a location signal;
- and
- a control unit in communication with the light sensor and the delivery device, the control unit configured to:
- receive a signal corresponding to a change in state of the light sensor;
- receive the location signal from the delivery device;
- and
- generate a notification based on the received signal corresponding to the light sensor and the received location signal from the delivery device.
8 more elements
A system comprising:
- a cabinet comprising:
- a plurality of item receptacles, each item receptacle comprising:
- a plurality of sides enclosing an internal volume;
- an individual door configured to open and close to allow and deny access to the internal volume;
- and
- an item sensor configured to sense the presence of an item;
- a common door configured to allow access simultaneously to the plurality of item receptacles;
- a door sensor configured to detect when the common door is opened or closed;
- and
- a control unit configured to receive a door signal from the door sensor on the common door and receive an item signal from any one of the item sensors in the plurality of item receptacles.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.