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 delivery agent data from a customer drop-site to verify delivery of a package at the customer drop-site, the system comprising:
one or more delivery containers;
a delivery agent database storing delivery agent profiles, the 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 having at least one sensor, the at least one customer electronic device associated with a customer drop-site, the at least one customer electronic device configured to:
detect at least one of: electromagnetic signals from one or more delivery agents' electronic devices, movement, or sound;
provide digital representation of the least one of: the electromagnetic signals from the one or more delivery agents' electronic devices, movement, or sound; and
provide sensed data associated with the one or more delivery containers, wherein the sensed data comprises one or more unique delivery container identifiers associated with the one or more delivery containers; and
a control circuit in communication with the 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 the particular delivery container containing at least one item from the retail order with a particular customer profile 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 of the delivery agents regarding a location of the particular delivery container;
update the package database regarding the location of the particular delivery container;
receive the sensed data from the at least one customer electronic device associated with the customer drop-site;
receive the digital representation of the least one of: the electromagnetic signals from the one or more delivery agents' electronic devices, movement, or sound; and
upon receipt of the sensed data and the digital representation, authenticate that the particular delivery container was delivered by the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container received by the particular customer by:
comparing the sensed data with one or more delivery container identifier in the package database that is associated with the particular delivery container; and
comparing the digital representation with the one or more delivery agent aspects associated with the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container.
2 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to authenticate the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container by at least one of analyzing or receiving at least one of: a delivery code, walking gate detection, biometric authentication, Bluetooth confirmation, GPS-enabled history confirmation of a delivery agent electronic device or usage history of the delivery agent electronic device, wherein the delivery agent electronic device is carried by one of the delivery agents.
3 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the sensed data further comprises one or more unique retail order identifiers associated with the retail order.
4 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the sensed data further comprises one or more unique item identifiers associated with the at least one item from the retail order.
5 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising a delivery agent interface configured to be displayed on the one or more delivery agent electronic devices, wherein the delivery agent interface is at least one of: provided to the one or more delivery agent electronic devices by the control circuit or configured to be executed by the one or more delivery agent electronic devices when in communication with the control circuit.
6 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is in further communication with the customer drop-site, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive confirmation data indicating that the particular delivery container is secured to the customer drop-site.
7 . The package delivery system of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine whether the particular delivery container has reached a predetermined distance from the customer drop-site based on at least one of: the retail order, the package database, or the sensed data.
8 . The package delivery system of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to provide a delivery code to the at least one customer electronic device, and wherein the at least one customer electronic device is configured to send the delivery code back to the control circuit upon a determination by the particular customer that a unique retail order identifier associated with the particular delivery container corresponds to the retail order.
9 . The package delivery system of claim 8 , wherein, upon a determination that the unique retail order identifier does not correspond to the retail order, the control circuit is further configured to send a notification to retrieve the particular delivery container from the customer drop-site by one of the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container.
10 . The package delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the customer drop-site comprises a docking station of a plurality of docking stations incorporated into at least one of: a physical retail shopping facility, a distribution center, a community facility, a post office, or the particular customer's house.
11 . 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 at least one customer electronic device 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.
12 . A method for verifying delivery of one or more items at a storage locker associated with a customer drop-site using delivery agent data comprising:
receiving, at a control circuit, 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 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;
receiving digital representation of electromagnetic signals from the at least one of the delivery agents' electronic devices, movement, or sound when the at least one of the delivery agents is at the customer drop-site;
receiving sensed data from the at least one customer electronic device associated with the customer drop-site, wherein the sensed data comprises one or more unique delivery container identifiers associated with the particular delivery container; and
upon receipt of the sensed data and the digital representation, authenticating that the particular delivery container was delivered by the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container received by the particular customer by:
comparing the sensed data with one or more delivery container identifiers in the package database that is associated with the particular delivery container; and
comparing the digital representation with one or more delivery agent aspects associated with the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container, and wherein the package database comprises relational data corresponding to the one or more delivery containers and delivery agents responsible for handling the one or more delivery containers.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the digital representation of the least one of: the electromagnetic signals from the at least one of the delivery agents' electronic devices, movement, or sound comprises electromagnetic signals associated with a delivery code, walking gate detection, biometric authentication, Bluetooth confirmation, GPS-enabled history confirmation of one or more delivery agent electronic devices, or usage history of the one or more delivery agent electronic devices, wherein the one or more delivery agent electronic devices are carried by the delivery agents.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensed data further comprises a unique retail order identifier associated with the retail order.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensed data further comprises a unique item identifier associated with the at least one item of the retail order.
16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving confirmation data indicating that the particular delivery container is secured to the customer drop-site, wherein the control circuit is in communication with the customer drop-site.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining whether the particular delivery container has reached the customer drop-site based on at least one of the retail order, the package database, or the sensed data.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: providing a delivery code to the at least one customer electronic device; and receiving the delivery code upon a determination by the particular customer that a unique retail order identifier corresponds to the retail order.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising sending a notification to retrieve the particular delivery container from the customer drop-site by one of the delivery agents responsible for handling the particular delivery container upon a determination that the unique retail order identifier does not correspond to the retail order.
20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the customer drop-site comprises a docking station of a plurality of docking stations incorporated into at least one of: a physical retail shopping facility, a distribution center, a community facility, a post office, or a customer's house.
21 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing to one or more delivery agent electronic devices a delivery agent interface configured to be displayed on the one or more delivery agent electronic devices.
22 . The method of claim 12 , 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.