Granted Patent B2

US 12,248,906 · App. 18/168,143 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Inventors: Kalin Robinson (John's Creek, GA); Robert J. Gillen (Alpharetta, GA)

Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.

G06Q10/0836G06Q10/1093G06Q40/02G07C9/00174G07C9/00912

Abstract

Claims (70)

1. A direct-to-locker bank delivery system comprising:

one or more processors; and

computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication that a first parcel is associated with first package level detail information, wherein the first package level detail information comprises data indicating the first parcel is scheduled for delivery to a delivery address associated with a consignee;

determining that a second parcel currently stored at a computerized locker bank is associated with the first parcel based at least in part on package level detail information for one or more parcels currently stored at the computerized locker bank and the first package level detail information, wherein the computerized locker bank comprises at least one locker bank computer and a plurality of securable locker compartments, each of the plurality of securable locker compartments comprising a door and a locking mechanism;

in response to determining that the second parcel is associated with the first parcel, modifying the first package level detail information to include delivery of the first parcel to the computerized locker bank and not the delivery address;

communicating storage information for storing the first parcel in the computerized locker bank; and

operating the locking mechanisms on a particular securable locker compartment of the plurality of securable locker compartments to open the door.

2. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the securable locker compartment of the plurality of securable locker compartments that is currently storing the second parcel.

3. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a size of the first parcel.

4. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a size of the second parcel.

5. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a size of the securable locker compartment that is currently storing the second parcel; and

comparing the size of the securable locker compartment that is currently storing the second parcel to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel.

6. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 5 , wherein:

the particular securable locker compartments is the securable locker compartment that is currently storing the second parcel.

7. The direct-to-locker bank delivery system of claim 1 , wherein:

the computerized locker bank is within a predetermined distance from the delivery address associated with the consignee.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processing device, an indication that a first parcel is associated with first package level detail information, wherein the first package level detail information comprises data indicating the first parcel is scheduled for delivery to a delivery address;

determining, by the at least one processing device, that a second parcel currently stored at a computerized locker bank is associated with the first parcel based at least in part on second package level detail information for the second parcel and the first package level detail information, wherein the computerized locker bank comprises at least one locker bank computer and a plurality of securable locker compartments, each of the plurality of securable locker compartments comprising a door and a locking mechanism;

in response to determining that the second parcel is associated with the first parcel, modifying, by the at least one processing device, the first package level detail information to include delivery of the first parcel to the computerized locker bank and not the delivery address;

communicating, by the at least one processing device, storage information for storing the first parcel in the computerized locker bank; and

operating, by the at least one processing device, the locking mechanism on a first securable locker compartment of the plurality of securable locker compartments to open the door.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processing device, that the first securable locker compartment is currently storing the second parcel;

determining, by the at least one processing device, a size of the first parcel;

determining, by the at least one processing device, a size of the second parcel;

comparing, by the at least one processing device, a size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel; and

determining, by the at least one processing device and based at least in part on comparing the size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel, that the first securable locker compartment can physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processing device, that a second securable locker compartment of the plurality of securable locker compartments is currently storing the second parcel;

determining, by the at least one processing device, a size of the first parcel;

determining, by the at least one processing device, a size of the second parcel;

comparing, by the at least one processing device, a size of the second securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel;

determining, by the at least one processing device and based at least in part on comparing the size of the second securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel, that the second securable locker compartment cannot physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel; and

in response to determining that the second securable locker compartment cannot physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel:

comparing, by the at least one processing device, a size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel; and

determining, by the at least one processing device and based at least in part on comparing the size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel, that the first securable locker compartment can physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel, wherein operating the locking mechanism on the first securable locker compartment to open the door is based at least in part on determining that the first securable locker compartment can physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising operating, by the at least one processing device and based at least in part on determining that the second securable locker compartment is currently storing the second parcel, the locking mechanism on the second securable locker compartment to open the door.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising modifying, by the at least one processing device and based at least in part on modifying the first package level detail information to include delivery of the first parcel to the computerized locker bank and not the delivery address, a delivery route for a delivery vehicle to include a stop at the computerized locker bank.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining that the second parcel is associated with the first parcel based at least in part on the second package level detail information and the first package level detail information comprises determining that the second package level detail information and the first package level detail information comprises at least one of the delivery address being identical, a consignee being identical, or an authorized party being identical.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the computerized locker bank is within a predetermined distance from the delivery address.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, configure the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

accessing first package level detail information for a first parcel, wherein the first package level detail information comprises data indicating the first parcel is scheduled for delivery to a delivery address;

determining that a second parcel currently stored at a computerized locker bank is associated with the first parcel based at least in part on second package level detail information for the second parcel and the first package level detail information, wherein the computerized locker bank comprises at least one locker bank computer and a plurality of securable locker compartments, each of the plurality of securable locker compartments comprising a door and a locking mechanism;

in response to determining that the second parcel is associated with the first parcel, modifying the first package level detail information to include delivery of the first parcel to the computerized locker bank and not the delivery address; and

operating the locking mechanism on a first securable locker compartment of the plurality of securable locker compartments to open the door.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a size of the first parcel;

determining a size of the second parcel;

comparing a size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel; and

determining, based at least in part on comparing the size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel, that the first securable locker compartment can physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a second securable locker compartment of the plurality of securable locker compartments is currently storing the second parcel;

determining a size of the first parcel;

determining a size of the second parcel;

comparing a size of the second securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel;

determining, based at least in part on comparing the size of the second securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel, that the second securable locker compartment cannot physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel; and

in response to determining that the second securable locker compartment cannot physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel:

comparing a size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel; and

determining, based at least in part on comparing the size of the first securable locker compartment to the size of the first parcel and the size of the second parcel, that the first securable locker compartment can physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel, wherein operating the locking mechanism on the first securable locker compartment to open the door is based at least in part on determining that the first securable locker compartment can physically accommodate the first parcel and the second parcel.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining that the second securable locker compartment is currently storing the second parcel; and

operating, based at least in part on determining that the second securable locker compartment is currently storing the second parcel, the locking mechanism on the second securable locker compartment to open the door.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising modifying, based at least in part on modifying the first package level detail information to include delivery of the first parcel to the computerized locker bank and not the delivery address, a delivery route for a delivery vehicle to include a stop at the computerized locker bank.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein determining that the second parcel is associated with the first parcel based at least in part on the second package level detail information and the first package level detail information comprises determining that the second package level detail information and the first package level detail information comprises at least one of the delivery address being identical, a consignee being identical, or an authorized party being identical.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)