Remote trigger for security system
Techniques for automatically securing receptacles of a retailer via an electronic lock include receiving a user request to reserve a receptacle, selecting a suitable receptacle based on one or more conditions, some of which may be specified by the user, and transmitting an electronic locking signal to secure, and thereby reserve, the selected receptacle. An association between the reserved receptacle and the user is stored, and the user is electronically notified. Subsequently, an electronic signal indicative of the identification of the user (or of the user's agent) is locally received. Upon determination that the user is expected and associated with the reserved receptacle, the techniques include causing an electronic unlocking signal to be transmitted to the electronic lock, thereby unlocking the receptacle. Further subsequently, upon receiving an electronic locking instruction, the receptacle may automatically be secured via its corresponding electronic lock, and a retailer agent may be electronically notified.
1. A system for automatically securing receptacles associated with an enterprise, the system comprising:
one or more communication interfaces communicatively connecting the system to a plurality of electronic locks securing a plurality of receptacles associated with the enterprise;
one or more processors; and
one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing a set of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
based on one or more conditions corresponding to a request, associated with a user, to reserve a receptacle associated with the enterprise, select a target receptacle that is included in the plurality of receptacles and secured via a particular electronic lock of the plurality of electronic locks;
transmit, via the one or more communication interfaces to the particular electronic lock, an electronic signal including a command to lock the target receptacle, thereby securing the target receptacle; and
transmit, via one or more communication networks to at least one of an electronic device or an application corresponding to the user, an electronic notification indicating that the target receptacle has been reserved in response to the request.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request is associated with an agent of the enterprise or a customer of the enterprise.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request corresponds to a reservation of the target receptacle for a return of an item to the enterprise.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request corresponds to a retrieval or pick-up of an item corresponding to a customer and secured within the target receptacle.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of at least one receptacle of the plurality of receptacles is individually secured by a respective, single electronic lock.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein more than one receptacle of the plurality of receptacles is secured as a group via a respective, single electronic lock.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target receptacle includes a customer-facing access mechanism and an enterprise-facing access mechanism; and the command to lock the target receptacle is to secure the customer-facing access mechanism of the target receptacle.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target receptacle includes a customer-facing access mechanism and an enterprise-facing access mechanism respectively secured by different electronic locks; and the command to lock the target receptacle is to secure the enterprise-facing access mechanism of the target receptacle.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of receptacles are located at at least one of a retail location of the enterprise or another location that is not a retail location of the enterprise.
10. A method of automatically securing receptacles associated with an enterprise, the method comprising:
receiving, via a local interface associated with a security system, an electronic signal, the local interface disposed at a location at which one or more receptacles of a plurality of receptacles associated with the enterprise are situated and secured by a plurality of electronic locks;
determining, by one or more processors of the security system, an identity of a customer and a particular receptacle, of the plurality of receptacles, that corresponds to the customer, the determination based on the received electronic signal and stored data that is indicative of interactions of the customer with the enterprise; and
transmitting, via one or more communication interfaces communicatively connecting the security system with the plurality of electronic locks, at least one of an activating instruction or a deactivating instruction to a particular electronic lock securing the particular receptacle, thereby respectively at least one of securing or unsecuring the particular receptacle.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the particular receptacle includes a customer-facing access mechanism and an enterprise-facing access mechanism, and the particular electronic lock secures the customer-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the at least one of the activating instruction or the deactivating instruction comprises transmitting the deactivating instruction thereby unsecuring the customer-facing access mechanism of the particular for a return of an item corresponding to the customer.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, subsequent to transmitting the deactivating instruction, transmitting the activating instruction thereby re-securing the customer-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle for a retrieval of the item corresponding to the customer and disposed within the particular receptacle.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the particular receptacle includes a customer-facing access mechanism and an enterprise-facing access mechanism, and the particular electronic lock secures the enterprise-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein transmitting the at least one of the activating instruction or the deactivating instruction comprises transmitting the deactivating instruction thereby unsecuring the enterprise-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle for loading, via the enterprise-facing access mechanism, an item corresponding to the customer into the particular receptacle for pick-up or retrieval.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein transmitting the at least one of the activating instruction or the deactivating instruction comprises transmitting the deactivating instruction thereby unsecuring the enterprise-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle for retrieving, via the enterprise-facing access mechanism, an item corresponding to the customer that has been loaded into the particular receptacle.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selecting the particular receptacle from the plurality of receptacles based on one or more conditions of a set of conditions, the set of conditions including: a user indication, a receptacle availability, a receptacle location, a receptacle geometry, another characteristic of receptacles, a temperature control requirement, an access code, a security code, and biometric information.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the electronic signal is a first electronic signal;
transmitting the at least one of the activating instruction or the deactivating instruction to the particular electronic lock thereby respectively securing or unsecuring the particular receptacle includes transmitting the activating instruction to a first electronic lock thereby securing a customer-facing access mechanism the particular receptacle; and
the method further comprises:
subsequently receiving a second electronic signal corresponding to the customer; and
based on the subsequently-received second electronic signal, transmitting, via the one or more communication interfaces, an unlocking command to a second electronic lock thereby unsecuring an enterprise-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle.
19. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the electronic signal is a first electronic signal;
transmitting the at least one of the activating instruction or the deactivating instruction to the particular electronic lock thereby respectively securing or unsecuring the particular receptacle includes transmitting the activating instruction to the particular electronic lock thereby securing a customer-facing access mechanism the particular receptacle; and
the method further comprises:
subsequently receiving, via the local interface, a second electronic signal indicative of the customer; and
based on the subsequently-received second electronic signal, transmitting, via the one or more communication interfaces, an unlocking command to the particular electronic lock thereby unsecuring the customer-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle.
20. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the particular receptacle includes a customer-facing access mechanism and an enterprise-facing access mechanism respectively secured by different electronic locks; and
transmitting the at least one of the activating instruction or the deactivating instruction to the particular electronic lock thereby respectively securing or unsecuring the particular receptacle includes transmitting the deactivating instruction to the respective electronic lock securing the enterprise-facing access mechanism, thereby unsecuring the enterprise-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the electronic signal is a first electronic signal, and the method further comprises, subsequent to unsecuring the enterprise-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle:
receiving, via the local interface, a second electronic signal indicative of the customer;
determining that the indicated customer is an expected customer; and
transmitting, via the one or more communication interfaces, an electronic unlocking command to the respective electronic lock securing the customer-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle, thereby unsecuring the customer-facing access mechanism of the particular receptacle.