Patent ID: 11868946
Assignee: DANBY PRODUCTS LIMITED
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. Apparatus comprising:
central system circuitry, wherein the central system circuitry is configured to be in operative connection with
at least one data store,
at least one wireless communication network,
a plurality of geographically disposed repositories, wherein each repository is selectively operable to accept and make available parcels to authorized item carriers,
wherein each repository includes
a body, wherein the body bounds at least one interior area, wherein each interior area is configured to hold at least one parcel,
wherein the body includes a respective opening to each respective interior area,
at least one door,
wherein each door is movably mounted in operative connection with the body,
wherein each door is movable between,
a closed position, wherein in the closed position the door closes the respective opening,
an open position, wherein in the open position the door is at least partially disposed away from the respective opening and the interior area is externally accessible from outside the body,

at least one lock, wherein each lock is in operative connection with a respective door,
wherein each lock is changeable between
a locked condition, wherein in the locked condition the lock is operative to hold the respective door in the closed position, and
an unlocked condition, wherein in the unlocked condition the respective door is movable from the closed position to the open position,
repository control circuitry, wherein the repository control circuitry is in operative connection with,
 each lock,
 at least one wireless transceiver, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver is in operative connection with the at least one wireless communication network,

wherein the at least one data store includes stored data corresponding to
each repository of the plurality of repositories,
a plurality of geographical catchment areas in which parcels may be delivered, wherein data corresponding to one catchment area is associated with data corresponding to one respective repository,
a plurality of parcel identifiers, wherein each parcel identifier uniquely identifies one parcel,
a plurality of parcel final delivery addresses, wherein one final delivery address is associated with each parcel identifier,
a plurality of current parcel locations, each associated with a respective parcel identifier, wherein at least some current parcel locations correspond to a respective repository in which a respective parcel having a respective parcel identifier is currently located,
contact data for each of a plurality of carrier contact devices, wherein each carrier contact device is associated with a respective item carrier,

wherein the central system circuitry is operative to cause
a) responsive at least in part to the respective final delivery address associated with each of a plurality of parcel identifiers, determination of a respective final repository associated with the respective catchment area which includes the respective final delivery address associated with the respective parcel identifier,
b) determination that at least one first parcel has associated stored data corresponding to a current parcel location in a first repository, and has a second repository as the respective final repository,
c) communication with a carrier contact device associated with an item carrier, wherein the communication is operative to cause a parcel transport assignment message to be communicated to the carrier contact device, wherein the parcel transport assignment message corresponds to instructions to transport the at least one first parcel from the first repository to the second repository as part of a transport assignment,
d) responsive at least in part to a number of parcels which comprise the at least one first parcel, determination that the item carrier has available capacity to transport at least one more parcel from the first repository to the second repository concurrently with the at least one first parcel,
e) determination that at least one further parcel has associated stored data corresponding to a current parcel location in the second repository, and has a third repository as the respective final repository for each at least one further parcel, wherein the third repository is other than the first repository and the second repository,
f) determination that at least one additional parcel has associated stored data corresponding to a current parcel location in the first repository, and has the third repository as the respective final repository for each of the at least one additional parcel,
g) determination that the second repository is closer than the first repository to the third repository,
h) responsive at least in part to the determinations in (d), (e), (f) and (g), further communication with the carrier contact device, wherein the further communication corresponds to instructions to concurrently transport the at least one additional parcel in conjunction with the at least one first parcel from the first repository to the second repository as part of the transport assignment.