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

Claim 20:
21. 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, hold, and make available parcels to authorized item carriers,

wherein each repository includes
a body, wherein the body bounds a plurality of interior areas,
wherein the body includes a respective opening that enables access from outside the body to a respective interior area,
at least one door, wherein each door is associated with a respective opening,
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 respective 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 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,
contact data for each of a plurality of carrier contact devices, wherein each carrier contact device is associated with a respective item carrier,
a plurality of current parcel locations, wherein each current parcel location is associated with a respective parcel identifier, wherein each current parcel location corresponds to a respective repository in which the corresponding parcel is either currently located or to which the corresponding parcel is currently in transit,

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 the 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 each respective parcel,
b) determination of at least one first parcel that has an associated first parcel identifier and associated stored data corresponding to a current parcel location in a first repository, and that 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 at least one parcel transport assignment message to be communicated to the carrier contact device, wherein the at last one parcel transport assignment message corresponds to instructions to transport at least one parcel from the first repository to the second repository,
d) responsive at least in part to a number of parcels which are included in the at least one first parcel, determination that the item carrier has available additional 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, wherein a third repository is the respective final repository for each of the at least one further parcel, wherein the third repository is other than the first repository in 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,
g) determination that the second repository is closer than in the first repository to the third repository,
h) responsive at least in part to each of the determinations in at least some of (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.