SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERING PACKAGES TO CUSTOMERS
In some embodiments, system, apparatuses and methods are provided useful for delivering packages. One such configuration may include storage lockers and a control circuit that detects proximity of delivery agents to a locker, and in response, sends a code to an agent that verifies the agent upon receipt of the code therefrom. In another configuration, the control circuit associates a storage locker with a customer profile, detects a customer approaching and a first authentication aspect, receives a second authentication aspect, and compares the authentication aspects with the customer profile. In another example, a control circuit associates a delivery container with a customer profile and the delivery agents handling the container, and upon receiving a package scan, compares the scan with aspects associated with responsible delivery agents. In another example, a control circuit receives sensed data from a customer and authenticates delivery by comparing the sensed data with delivery agent profiles.
1 . A package delivery system using a customer package scan to verify delivery of a package at a storage locker, the system comprising:
one or more delivery containers;
a delivery agent database storing a plurality of delivery agent profiles of a plurality of delivery agents, the plurality of delivery agent profiles having one or more delivery agent aspects stored therewith;
a package database of the one or more delivery containers and associated delivery agents responsible for handling the one or more delivery containers;
at least one customer electronic device with a customer user interface, the at least one customer electronic device configured to scan the one or more delivery containers for at least one of one or more delivery authentication aspects or one or more delivery agent aspects; and provide the scanned data as a package scan; and
a control circuit in communication with at least one delivery agent electronic device and at least one customer electronic device, and configured to access the delivery agent database and the package database, the control circuit configured to:
receive a retail order from a particular customer;
associate a particular delivery container of the one or more delivery containers containing at least one item from the retail order with a particular customer profile of a customer database and each of the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container during its shipment from a retail facility to the particular customer;
receive an indication from at least one delivery agent of the plurality of delivery agents regarding a location of the particular delivery container;
update the package database regarding the location of the particular delivery container; and
upon receipt of the package scan from the at least one customer electronic device via the customer user interface, compare the package scan with the one or more delivery agent aspects associated with each delivery agents of the plurality of delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container received by the particular customer to authenticate that the particular delivery container was delivered by at least one of the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container.
2 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine whether, based on the package database, the location of the particular delivery container corresponds to a location of a storage locker accessed by the particular customer to receive the particular delivery container;
in response to the comparison that the package scan matches with the one or more delivery agent aspects associated with each of the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container received by the particular customer and the determination that the location of the particular delivery container corresponds to the location of the storage locker, unlock the particular delivery container.
3 . The package delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more delivery authentication aspects include at least one of: tamper evident packaging material, biometric markers deposited onto the particular delivery container, or electromagnetic signals provided by passive sensors incorporated into the particular delivery container.
4 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising a delivery agent electronic device configured to receive a customer authentication aspect from the particular customer prior to release of the particular delivery container to the particular customer to verify that the particular customer is authorized to receive the particular delivery container.
5 . The package delivery system of claim 4 , further comprising a customer database of customer profiles, the customer profiles having one or more customer aspects stored therewith, wherein the control circuit is further configured to compare the customer authentication aspect from the particular customer with customer aspects associated with the particular customer in an associated customer profile of the customer profiles of the customer database.
6 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more delivery agent aspects comprise biometric markers, walking gate, facial characteristics, body shape, or any combination thereof.
7 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a listing of delivery agents based on the comparison of the package scan with the one or more delivery agent aspects.
8 . The package delivery system of claim 7 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine whether delivery agents listed on the listing of delivery agents matches with the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container; and
unlock the particular delivery container upon the determination that the delivery agents listed on the listing of delivery agents matches with the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container.
9 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine whether the comparison of the package scan with the one or more delivery agent aspects matches with the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container during its shipment from the retail facility to the particular customer.
10 . The package delivery system of claim 9 , wherein, upon the determination that the comparison of the package scan with the one or more delivery agent aspects do not match, the control circuit is further configured to send a first notification to the particular customer indicating that the particular delivery container may have been tampered.
11 . The package delivery system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to send a second notification to an employee management system indicating a request to investigate a possible tampering of the particular delivery container.
12 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
detect unauthorized removal of a storage locker associated with the particular delivery container from a predetermined location coordinate of the storage locker;
in response to the detection of the unauthorized removal, prevent access to the storage locker; and
provide an alert message to at least one of the particular customer or the retail facility associated with the storage locker, wherein the alert message indicates at least one of: the unauthorized removal and current location of the storage locker.
13 . A method for verifying delivery of one or more packages to a storage locker using a customer package scan comprising:
receiving a retail order from a particular customer;
associating a particular delivery container of one or more delivery containers containing at least one item from the retail order with:
a particular customer profile of a customer database; and
each of delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container during its shipment from a retail facility to the particular customer;
receiving an indication from at least one of the delivery agents regarding a location of the particular delivery container;
updating a package database regarding the location of the particular delivery container, wherein the package database comprises the one or more delivery containers and associated delivery agents responsible for handling the one or more delivery containers; and
comparing a package scan with delivery agent aspects of a delivery agent database, wherein the delivery agent aspects are associated with each of the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container upon receipt of the package scan from a customer electronic device associated with the particular customer via a customer user interface, wherein the customer electronic device is configured to scan the particular delivery container to determine at least one of one or more delivery authentication aspects or one or more delivery agent aspects; and provide the scanned data as the package scan.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the customer electronic device, via the customer user interface, is configured to scan the particular delivery container for one or more delivery authentication aspects.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more delivery authentication aspects include at least one of: tamper evident packaging material, biometric markers deposited onto the particular delivery container, or electromagnetic signals provided by passive sensors incorporated into the one or more delivery containers.
16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising creating a listing of delivery agents resulting from comparing the package scan with the delivery agent aspects.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing the listing of delivery agents to the particular customer via the customer electronic device.
18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining whether the comparison of the package scan with the delivery agent aspects matches with the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container during its shipment from the retail facility to the particular customer.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising sending a first notification to the particular customer indicating that the particular delivery container may have been tampered upon the determination that the comparison of the package scan with the delivery agent aspects do not match.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising sending a second notification to an employee management system indicating a request to investigate a possible tampering of the particular delivery container.
21 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving a customer authentication aspect from the particular customer;
receiving customer aspects associated with the particular customer from a customer database, wherein the customer database stores customer aspects associated with each of the plurality of customers; and
comparing the customer authentication aspect from the particular customer with the customer aspects associated with the particular customer from the customer database.
22 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
detecting unauthorized removal of a storage locker associated with the particular delivery container from a predetermined location coordinate of the storage locker;
in response to the detecting of the unauthorized removal, preventing access to the storage locker; and
providing an alert message to at least one of the particular customer or the retail facility associated with the storage locker, wherein the alert message indicates at least one of: the unauthorized removal and current location of the storage locker.