U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
U.S. patent applications available from 2005 to present.

Method and apparatus for efficient package delivery and storage

Patent 6974928 Issued on December 13, 2005. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject March 16, 2021. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Patent References

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Inventor

Assignee

Application

No. 09810903 filed on 03/16/2001

US Classes:

209/583, Reading indicia700/215, Having an identification code700/242, Particular supply arrangement (e.g., plural sources or compartments)700/243, Movable (e.g., rotatable)348/150, Point of sale or banking700/213, Article handling709/219, Accessing a remote server340/568.1, Article placement or removal (e.g., anti-theft)705/26, Electronic shopping (e.g., remote ordering)340/10.31, Individual call700/233, Customized dispensed article (e.g., operator design)700/225Having an identification code

Examiners

Primary: Walsh, Donald P.
Assistant: Miller, John

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

G06F017/00

Abstract

A method and system for the efficient bulk package delivery for recipients. Items ordered by different customers from different retailers, suppliers or manufacturers can be organized by common item identifiers and shipped in bulk from retailers or manufacturers, to an origination regional distribution center. The items can be sorted at the origination regional distribution center in bulk based on the location of destination regional distribution centers that can serve destination centralized pickup locations chosen by the customers placing the orders for those items. Ordered items can be sorted by recipient and the destination centralized pickup location specified in the customer's order and packed into recipient-specific packages at the destination regional distribution center. The packages can be transported in bulk to the destination centralized pickup locations where they can be randomly loaded into any available locker bins in an automated system of stationary and moveable, configurable storage locker bins. During loading, an association can be made between an identifier of the locker bin and an identifier of the bulk delivered package for subsequent self service identification and retrieval. An electronic notification of the delivery can be automatically dispatched to the recipient by the automated system of storage locker bins to alert the recipient of the delivery.

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