IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,188,868
Granted Patent B2
US 11,188,868 · App. 16/142,431 · Granted Nov 30, 2021

Directionally-enabled smart shipping labels

Inventors: Kelley Anders (East New Market, MD); Lisa Seacat DeLuca (Baltimore, MD); Jeremy R. Fox (Georgetown, TX); Jeremy A. Greenberger (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
G06Q10/0833G08B13/1427G06K19/06028
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,188,868
App. No.
16/142,431
Granted
Nov 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide an approach for safeguarding a package for successful delivery. In an embodiment, a current location of a package, delivered but left outside its desired delivery location, is received from a smart label affixed to the package. The location and directional movements of the package are monitored. If the package is moved beyond a predefined distance threshold (e.g., 30 feet from a desired delivery residence), a threshold violation notification is sent to at least one party (e.g., customer, delivery service, police department, etc.) providing an alert of a potential theft of the package.

Claims (35)

1. A computer-implemented method for safeguarding a package for delivery, comprising:

initially activating a smart label on a package while the package is in transit for delivery, the smart label being an internet of things (IOT) device having at least one sensor;

receiving, from the smart label, a current location of the package;

monitoring, in response to an arrival of the package at a delivery area, the location and a directional movement of the package;

responsive to a determination of an occurrence of a threshold violation associated with the package, transmitting a threshold violation notification; and

automatically deactivating the one or more sensors to, upon a detection by the one or more sensors a successful delivery of the package based on a movement of the package by a threshold distance in a direction of a desired delivery location corresponding to an address in a customer profile database from a delivery area, cease transmitting location and directional movement signals to a server.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold violation occurs when a directional movement results in a distance of the package from a desired delivery location exceeding a predefined distance threshold.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the location of the package.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising activating the one or more sensors to begin transmitting location and directional movement signals to the server.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a threshold violation notification to one of: a police department official, a purchaser, a neighbor, a security guard, and a delivery service courier associated with a purchaser of the package.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising activating the one or more sensors by scanning the smart label with an electronic device.

7. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage medium that, when executed by a computer device, performs a method for safeguarding a package for delivery in a networked computing environment, the method comprising:

initially activating a smart label on a package while the package is in transit for delivery, the smart label being an internet of things (IOT) device having at least one sensor;

receiving, from the smart label, a current location of the package;

monitoring, in response to an arrival of the package at a delivery area, the location and a directional movement of the package;

responsive to a determination of an occurrence of a threshold violation associated with the package, transmitting a threshold violation notification; and

automatically deactivating the one or more sensors to, upon a detection by the one or more sensors a successful delivery of the package based on a movement of the package by a threshold distance in a direction of a desired delivery location corresponding to an address in a customer profile database from a delivery area, cease transmitting location and directional movement signals to a server.

8. The program product of claim 7 wherein the threshold violation occurs when a directional movement results in a distance of the package from a desired delivery location exceeding a predefined distance threshold.

9. The program product of claim 7 , the method further comprising transmitting the location of the package.

10. The program product of claim 7 , the method further comprising activating the one or more sensors to begin transmitting location and directional movement signals to the server.

11. The program product of claim 7 , the method further comprising transmitting a threshold violation notification to a police department official associated with a purchaser of the package.

12. The program product of claim 10 , the method further comprising activating the one or more sensors by scanning the smart label with an electronic device.

13. A computer system for safeguarding a package for delivery in a networked computing environment, the computer system comprising:

a memory medium comprising instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions cause the system to:

initially activate a smart label on a package while the package is in transit for delivery, the smart label being an internet of things (IOT) device having at least one sensor;

receive, from the smart label, a current location of the package;

monitor, in response to an arrival of the package at a delivery area, the location and a directional movement of the package;

responsive to a determination of an occurrence of a threshold violation associated with the package, transmit a threshold violation notification; and

automatically deactivate the one or more sensors to, upon a detection by the one or more sensors a successful delivery of the package based on a movement of the package by a threshold distance in a direction of a desired delivery location corresponding to an address in a customer profile database from a delivery area, cease transmitting location and directional movement signals to a server.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the threshold violation occurs when a directional movement results in a distance of the package from a desired delivery location exceeding a predefined distance threshold.

15. The system of claim 13 , the instructions further causing the system to transmit the location of the package.

16. The system of claim 13 , the instructions further causing the system to activate the one or more sensors to begin transmitting location and directional movement signals to the server.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the networked computing environment is a cloud computing environment.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2018
From: ANDERS, KELLEY; DELUCA, LISA SEACAT; FOX, JEREMY R.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046978/0476 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2018
From: GREENBERGER, JEREMY A.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046979/0890 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200097902A1 · Mar 26, 2020
Cited By (1)
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