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 retail distribution system using multi-factor customer authentication to access a storage locker by a customer user, the system comprising:
at least one customer electronic device configured to be carried by a customer user;
one or more storage lockers of a plurality of storage lockers at a docking station;
a customer database storing customer profiles, the customer profiles having one or more customer aspects stored therewith;
a package database of a plurality of docking stations, associated plurality of storage lockers, and contents of the plurality of storage lockers; and
a control circuit in communication with the at least one customer electronic device and the plurality of docking stations and configured to access the customer database and the package database, the control circuit configured to:
associate a particular storage locker of the one or more storage lockers at the docking station with a particular customer profile of the customer database in the package database;
determine contents of the particular storage locker;
adjust an authentication level to access the particular storage locker based on the determination of the contents of the particular storage locker;
automatically detect the customer user approaching the docking station and a first authentication aspect from the customer user;
receive a second authentication aspect from the customer user via the docking station, wherein the first and the second authentication aspects are based on the adjusted authentication level;
compare the first authentication aspect with the particular customer profile associated with the particular storage locker being accessed;
compare the second authentication aspect with the particular customer profile, wherein at least one of the first authentication aspect or the second authentication aspect occur via the at least one customer electronic device carried by the customer user; and
grant access to the particular storage locker when, based on the comparison, there is a match between the first authentication aspect with the particular customer profile and between the second authentication aspect with the particular customer profile.
2 . The retail distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first authentication aspect includes at least one of: walking gate detection, biometric authentication, Bluetooth confirmation, GPS-enabled history confirmation of the at least one customer electronic device carried by the customer user, or usage history of the at least one customer electronic device carried by the customer user.
3 . The retail distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the second authentication aspect includes at least one of: receipt of an authentication code, walking gate detection, biometric authentication, Bluetooth confirmation, GPS-enabled history confirmation of the at least one customer electronic device carried by the customer user, or usage history of the at least one customer electronic device carried by the customer user.
4 . The retail distribution system of claim 3 , wherein the authentication code is at least one of spoken into a user interface of the docking station or typed into the user interface of the docking station.
5 . The retail distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station comprises an autonomous vehicle comprising the storage lockers that are freely accessible to customers who provide the first and second authentication aspects to retrieve the particular storage locker such that upon receipt of the first and the second authentication aspects, the docking station releases the particular storage locker associated with the customer user.
6 . The retail distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station further comprises one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of movement, sound, or electromagnetic signals.
7 . The retail distribution system of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to detect the customer user approaching the docking station via the one of the one or more sensors or the at least one customer electronic device carried by the customer user.
8 . The retail distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to monitor the at least one customer electronic device carried by the customer user after retrieval of the particular storage locker to confirm that movement of the customer user is consistent with customer aspects associated with the particular customer profile.
9 . The retail distribution system of claim 1 , further comprising a customer user interface configured to be displayed on the at least one customer electronic device of the customer user, wherein the customer user interface is at least one of: provided to the at least one customer electronic device by the control circuit or configured to be executed by the at least one customer electronic device when in communication with the control circuit.
10 . The retail distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
detect unauthorized removal of at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station from a predetermined location coordinate of the one or more storage lockers or the docking station;
in response to the detection of the unauthorized removal, prevent access to the at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station; and
provide an alert message to at least one of the customer user or a retail store associated with the at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station, wherein the alert message indicates at least one of: the unauthorized removal and current location of the at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station.
11 . A method for retail distribution using multi-factor customer authentication to access a storage locker by a customer user comprising:
associating a particular storage locker of one or more storage lockers at a docking station with a particular customer profile in a package database, wherein a customer database is configured to store a plurality of customer profiles, the plurality of customer profiles having one or more customer aspects stored therewith, and wherein the package database is configured to store relational data corresponding to a plurality of docking stations, associated storage lockers, and contents of the storage lockers;
determining contents of the particular storage locker;
adjusting authentication level to access the particular storage locker based on the determining the contents of the particular storage locker;
automatically detecting a customer user approaching the docking station and a first authentication aspect from the customer user;
receiving a second authentication aspect from the customer user via the docking station, wherein the first and the second authentication aspects are based on the adjusted authentication level;
comparing the first authentication aspect with the particular customer profile associated with the particular storage locker being accessed;
comparing the second authentication aspect with the particular customer profile, wherein at least one of the first authentication aspect or the second authentication aspect occur via a customer electronic device carried by the customer user; and
granting access to the particular storage locker when, based on the comparing, the first authentication aspect matches with the particular customer profile and the second authentication aspect matches with the particular customer profile.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first authentication aspect includes at least one of: walking gate detection, biometric authentication, Bluetooth confirmation, GPS-enabled history confirmation of the customer electronic device carried by the customer user, or usage history of the customer electronic device carried by the customer user.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second authentication aspect includes at least one of: receipt of an authentication code, walking gate detection, biometric authentication, Bluetooth confirmation, GPS-enabled history confirmation of the customer electronic device carried by the customer user, or usage history of the customer electronic device carried by the customer user.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the authentication code is at least one of spoken into a user interface of the docking station or typed into the user interface of the docking station.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein detecting the customer user approaching the docking station is via one of one or more sensors associated with the docking station or the customer electronic device carried by the customer user.
16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising monitoring the customer electronic device carried by the customer user after retrieval of the particular storage locker to confirm that movement of the customer user is consistent with customer aspects associated with the particular customer profile.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a customer user interface to the customer electronic device of the customer user upon a determination that the customer electronic device does not have the customer user interface.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining whether the customer electronic device includes the customer user interface, wherein, upon determining that the customer user interface is included, the customer user interface is executed by the customer electronic device.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the docking station comprises an autonomous vehicle comprising the storage lockers, wherein the storage lockers are freely accessible to a plurality of customers, and wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to release the particular storage locker to the customer user upon receipt of the first and the second authentication aspects.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the docking station comprises one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of movement, sound, or electromagnetic signals.
21 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of docking stations are incorporated into at least one of: a physical retail shopping facility, a distribution center, a community facility, or a post office.
22 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting unauthorized removal of at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station from a predetermined location coordinate of the particular storage locker or the docking station;
in response to the detecting of the unauthorized removal, preventing access to the at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station; and
providing an alert message to at least one of the customer user or a retail store associated with the at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station, wherein the alert message indicates at least one of: the unauthorized removal and current location of the at least one of the particular storage locker or the docking station.