Parcel delivery system and method
A parcel delivery system and method are provided. The parcel delivery system includes a parcel receptacle unit with one or more lockers that securely receives parcels from any commercial carrier and provides for users to retrieve their parcel. The parcel delivery system includes a parcel receiving system that receives a parcel identification code from multiple sources such as a confirmation delivery message, direct from user, automatically scanned codes during delivery, or manually entered codes during delivery or provided during review post-delivery. Upon arrival to a designated receiver, the parcel is processed and the parcel receiving system captures images of the parcel and of an identification code. Once the identification code of the parcel is verified, an available locker is selected based on the detected size of the parcel and opened to receive the parcel. A locker access code is generated and sent to a receiver for retrieval of the parcel.
1 . A parcel delivery system for receiving and storing a parcel, the system in communication with a server, comprising:
a parcel receptacle unit having a parcel receiving area and one or more lockers, each locker configured to accept and house a parcel;
a parcel receiving system comprising a visual camera, wherein the visual camera is configured to capture an identification code of the parcel in the parcel receiving area and within an image capture area of the visual camera;
wherein one or more of the lockers of the parcel receptacle unit is assigned a unique delivery address adapted to direct carriers to the one or more of the lockers of the parcel receptacle unit as a designated delivery location;
the unique delivery address forming a portion of the identification code, wherein the identification code comprises a tracking number, a user name, and a user code, wherein the tracking number uniquely identifies each individual parcel delivery, and wherein the user name and the user code remain consistent across multiple deliveries for a same receiving party while varying between different receiving parties, and wherein the identification code is associated with the receiving party;
wherein the visual camera is configured to first capture the tracking number from the parcel and subsequently capture the user name and the user code from the parcel:
wherein the unique delivery address comprises the user name and the user code without requiring a unit number corresponding to the parcel receptacle unit on a label address attached to the parcel:
wherein the parcel delivery system is configured to open a target locker of the one or more lockers upon verification of the identification code;
wherein the target locker of the parcel receptacle unit is configured to:
verify the identification code of the parcel with a parcel delivery order, wherein verifying the identification code comprises verifying the user name and the user code captured from the parcel; and
select the target locker from one or more lockers based on dimensions of the target locker and the parcel, wherein a sensor scans the parcel to determine a dimension for the minimum bounding box of the parcel; and
wherein the unique delivery address is distinct from a general building or unit address.
2 . The parcel delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the identification code is located in a confirmation delivery message received by the server or transmitted to a recipient of the parcel.
3 . The parcel delivery system of claim 2 , wherein a parcel delivery order is electronically transmitted to the server before a delivery of the parcel to the parcel receptacle unit.
4 . The parcel delivery system of claim 1 , wherein a parser is configured to identify and collect the identification code of a parcel delivery order associated with the parcel, where the parcel delivery order is parsed from a confirmation delivery message received by the server.
5 . The parcel delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the parcel receptacle unit comprises a sensor configured to scan the parcel positioned on a base of the parcel receiving area to determine dimensions of a minimum bounding box of the parcel by calculating a relative position of the parcel from the sensor, wherein the sensor is positioned in a known location from the base.
6 . The parcel delivery system of claim 5 , wherein the parcel receptacle unit is configured to automatically select the target locker upon determining the minimum bounding box size of the parcel.
7 . The parcel delivery system of claim 6 , wherein the target locker includes a smallest dimension of the one or more lockers that is available and sized to accept and house the parcel.
8 . The parcel delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the parcel delivery system verifies that a parcel is addressed to the unique delivery address of the parcel receptacle unit and processes the parcel, and wherein verifying that the parcel is addressed to the unique delivery address comprises verifying the user name and the user code on the parcel.
9 . The parcel delivery system of claim 8 , wherein the unique delivery address of the parcel receptacle unit is registered with a shipping carrier system, and wherein the unique delivery address registered with the shipping carrier system comprises the user name and the user code without requiring the unit number corresponding to the parcel receptacle unit.
10 . The parcel delivery system of claim 8 , wherein the parcel delivery system is configured to verify that the parcel is addressed to the unique delivery address of the parcel receptacle unit before selecting the target locker for storage.
11 . The parcel delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the designated delivery location is the unique delivery address assigned to the parcel receptacle unit, the unique delivery address being a registered address recognized by the carrier for delivery, and wherein the unique delivery address comprises the user name and the user code that remain consistent across multiple deliveries for the same receiving party.