SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERY OF GOODS TO A CUSTOMER

Abstract: An integrated system for delivery of goods to a customer, in particular in the field of the grocery business. The system comprises one or more delivery boxes (1) for unattended delivery of goods and a service center (20) which monitors and controls the system and the operation and use of the delivery boxes (1) belonging thereto in a centralized manner. Each delivery box (1) comprises an impervious, weatherproof and heat-insulated outer shell, the interior space of which has been divided into several sections and compartments, of which at least some can be separated tightly or almost tightly from one another, and a heat transfer apparatus, by means of which different storage temperatures can be arranged in the different compartments, as well as a control unit and locking means, the operation of which is controlled and monitored by the service center (20). The service center (20) comprises a database in which all information concerning the system is stored, service pages directing operation, servers supporting different data transfer techniques, and wireless and fixed information network interfaces. The service center (20) makes it possible to make monitored and controlled, unattended deliveries of goods such that all parties (supplier of goods, collector, deliverer, receiver) can make use of the offered track-and-trace services to optimize their operation.

Description: System and method for delivery of goods to a customer The invention relates to an integrated system for delivery of goods to a customer, in particular in the field of the grocery business, which system comprises one or more delivery boxes for unattended receiving of goods. The invention also relates to a method for delivery of goods to a customer, in particular in the field of the grocery business. Together with conventional commerce, electronic commerce based on the utilization of television, telephone and information networks has sharply increased in recent years, in particular in the U.S.A. Doing business on the electronic market is activity which is based on self-service and which changes into interaction between a consumer and the media through electronic systems. Marketing, ordering, selection and increasingly more commonly also payment of products take place totally through the media. However, the delivery of physical goods still requires conventional transport practices. Collecting, packing and transporting of goods, which were previously tasks of the buyer, have now been passed to be taken care of by some other party. In the grocery business, an information-network-based service is already used to some extent in which a customer places his/her order using a browser provided in a microcomputer, and the order is transmitted to a supplier of goods either through wireless telecommunications connections or through a fixed telecommunications network. The home delivery of purchased products, however, calls for logistic solutions of its own in which, among other things, the temperature requirements set by the stability of food products have to be taken into consideration. Finding a delivery time suitable for the customer and the deliverer may also be a problem. Home delivery usually requires that there is someone present to receive delivered goods in order that the products may be immediately stored in an appropriate manner. If there is no receiver present, the products ordered may have to be left outdoors or in common spaces where they are at the mercy of weather and/or thieves. Different solutions have been previously proposed for unattended receiving of delivered goods, of which solutions some examples are described below. Published EP application 851 187 discloses a storage compartment assembly which is provided with heat transfer elements and in the different compartments of which different temperatures can be maintained. The control unit of the storage compartment assembly includes, among other things, a printer for issuing receipts, a voice output device and a display for instructing operation procedures, a card reader, a keypad and a selector key for storage temperature. The individual compartments are locked and they can be opened from the keypad. The adjustment of temperature can be made by means of the keypad either stepwise or linearly. The compartment assembly operates independently, in other words, there is no disclosure of it having any remote control or remote monitoring. FR patent 2,563,987 discloses a public storage box which is equipped with its own computer and telecommunications connection with a central server which is linked to a network of storage boxes through a telephone system. JP patent application 4114891 discloses a distribution box which can be used for sending and receiving goods. There is a data processing unit transmitting information between the box and the supplier of goods. EP patent application 821 518 discloses a distribution system comprising a storage unit for goods which can be provided with a telecommunications connection with the supplier of goods, the deliverer and the receiver of goods. US patent 4,894, 717 describes a control system for a computer-controlled delivery locker assembly. EP patent 359 667 describes a method and a system for remote ordering and delivering of products into a locker assembly placed in a sales room, from which the customer can collect the goods ordered by him/her against payment. EP patent 531 942 discloses a method similar to the preceding one, in which an ordered product is placed in a locker assembly which is located in a locked indoor space and from which the customer collects it against payment. An object of the invention is to develop a safe and reliable overall arrangement for delivery of goods to a customer. The aim is to allow safe delivery of goods to a desired address at a time suitable for the parties involved in a transaction and, when needed, to assure an unbroken cold-storage chain between a store and a customer. A further aim is to integrate the different parts of the distribution chain with one another such that the physical travel of goods after an electronically made deal can be monitored and supervised in real time and controlled in a centralized manner. With a view to achieving the objectives described above as well as those coming out later, the system according to the invention is characterized in that which is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. Similarly, the method according to the invention is characterized in that which is stated in the characterizing part of claim 14. The integrated system according to the invention comprises a number of delivery boxes for unattended delivery of goods and a service center which monitors and controls the system and the operation and use of the delivery boxes belonging thereto in a centralized manner. The boxes or set of boxes can form independent groups, from which a telecommunications connection is provided to the service center. Each delivery box belonging to the system comprises an impervious, weatherproof and completely heat-insulated outer shell, the interior space of which has been divided into several sections and compartments, of which at least some can be separated tightly or almost tightly from one another. The box comprises a control unit and locking means, the operation of which is controlled and monitored by the service center situated at a remote location, as well as a heat transfer apparatus which includes both heating means and cooling means. The control unit has been arranged to control the operation of the heat transfer apparatus in order to maintain the temperature of the various sections and compartments of the delivery box in a range determined by the service center independently of the open air temperature. The service center controlling the operation of the system comprises a database in which the central information concerning the system has been stored, service pages directing operation, servers supporting different data transmission techniques, as well as connections to wireless and fixed information networks. By means of these devices, the service center is able, for example, to monitor the operation of the delivery boxes, record information about the state of each delivery box, track the progress of the delivery of goods, and keep real-time information available to the customer. The centralized monitoring and controlling of the different stages of the delivery process benefit all the parties involved in the distribution chain, who include the supplier of goods, the collector, the deliverer and the consumer. The use of a delivery box connected to an information network and provided with a control unit and temperature controls as a part of the distribution chain enables unattended delivery of goods. Maintaining of the cold-storage chain during delivery is ensured by arranging transport such that the goods are transported at a storage temperature suitable for them. The system according to the invention can also be used for returning products from the consumer to the supplier of goods, as will be described further on. Anyway, the field of use of the invention is not intended to be limited exclusively to transports of groceries, since the safe and reliable transport service operating in both directions according to the invention is also suitable for use, for example, in the home delivery of consumer goods and postal items as well as in the two-way goods traffic of rental agencies, laundries and other service providers. In the following, the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 3, to the details of which the invention is, however, not intended to be narrowly confined. Figure 1 shows the general principle of the method according to the invention. Figure 2 shows a delivery box serving as a part of a distribution chain. Figure 3 illustrates parts and data transmission connections of the system. Fig. 1 is a simplified illustration of a distribution chain in electronic commerce, the operations of which are monitored and controlled by a service center 20 via telecommunications connections C,-C 4 , which may be either wireless or based on a fixed wired network. The physical journey of goods from a supplier of goods 15 as transported by a deliverer 16 into a delivery box 1, from which a customer 17 picks them up, is illustrated by the arrows A,-A 3 . The arrows A 4 -A 6 passing in the opposite direction represent the journey of returned items from the customer 17 back to the supplier of goods 15. Fig. 2 shows a delivery box 1 intended for unattended delivery of goods and suitable for being placed in the open air. The outer shell 2 of the box 1 is constructed so as to be impervious, and it is made of a weatherproof material. The impervious structure needs, on the one hand, to be heat-retaining, which is achieved by means of a thermal insulation layer of the external walls 2, and, on the other hand, it must enable moisture, micro-organisms, dirt and other harmful factors to be kept outside the box 1 , which can be influenced, among other things, by selection of wall materials, joints, and seals. Doors 7 of the delivery box 1 are provided with seals, which must also be weatherproof. The term 'weatherproof refers to materials and structures that maintain their capability to function in conditions with varying moisture and in a wide temperature range. Advantageously, local heating resistors or other heating means (not shown) are arranged in connection with the front wall of the delivery box 1 , the function of said heating means being to ensure that the seals of the door 7 remain dry and to prevent them from freezing in the winter. Despite its imperviousness, the delivery box 1 may naturally comprise a controlled ventilation system (not shown). The interior space of the delivery box 1 is divided by means of a heat-insulated partition wall 6 into two parts, which can be divided further either by means of detachable shelves or by means of fixed partition walls 3 into sections which can be provided with different storage temperatures. Advantageously, one part of the delivery box 1 forms the cold-storage space proper, which is divided, for example, into a freezing compartment and a refrigerator space, and the other part can form a dry storage space. When needed, several delivery boxes of the described kind can be joined to form a whole of module construction, in which each individual module has its own doors and own temperature regulation. The delivery box 1 comprises, among other things, heat transfer means 4, a control unit 9 provided with a telecommunications connection 10, and a locking system 5. Differing from a conventional refrigerator structure, the heat transfer apparatus 4 comprises both cooling means and heating means, by means of which the temperatures inside the delivery box 1 can be maintained in a desired range independently of the open air temperatures. As the cooling and heating means 4 it is possible to use devices known in themselves in the state of the art, such as, for example, a refrigeration compressor and a heating resistor. The delivery box 1 can be locked by means of a conventional mechanical series lock but, most advantageously, the locking mechanism 5 is electric, as shown in Fig. 2. The locking mechanism 5 is remote controlled and its operation is controlled by a remote service center by means of the control unit 9 of the box. The delivery box can be opened, for example, by making a telephone call by mobile phone to the service center. The database at the service center includes a list of the mobile phones the holder of which is authorized to access the box. If a call signal functioning as a request for access comes from a telephone number included in the list, the service center sends an instruction to the control unit of the delivery box to unlock the door. At the same time, information is stored in the databases of the service center that a given user has visited a given delivery box at a given time. The access authorizations at the service center can be changed via the information network by means of a computer or a wireless connection, for example, by mobile phone. Alternatively, a request for access can be transmitted to the service center via a touch screen, a keypad or another reader device 8 which has been connected to the information network and by means of which the user can identify himself/herself. This identification device 8 sends the access request to the service center, which in a positive case sends opening permission to the control unit 9 of the box. The control unit 9 of the delivery box comprises a microprocessor into which desired operations of the box have been programmed and which monitors and controls the operation of the delivery box 1 according to the instructions it receives from the service center. Via the telecommunications connection 10, the control unit 9 can also be reprogrammed from the service center. The control unit 9 monitors the temperatures inside the delivery box 1 and controls the operations of the heat transfer unit 4 such that the box is cooled or heated as the need arises. The need for cooling or heating may greatly vary in respect of time, depending, among other things, on the temperature of the open air, the degree of filling of the box, the temperature of the products left in the box and on how long the doors of the box are kept open. In warm weather, more cooling power is needed than in cool weather. At freezing temperatures, heating may again be required in order that food products sensitive to decrease of temperature shall not spoil during storage. If the delivery box comprised only a cooling apparatus like conventional refrigerators, it would not be possible to maintain the cold-storage compartments at an even temperature in all conditions. The control unit 9 also collects information about the operation of the delivery box 1 and transmits it further to the service center. The control unit 9 monitors, for example, whether the heat transfer apparatus 4 is on or off, whether the door 7 of the box is closed or open, whether the box 1 contains goods or is empty, and whether the box 1 is operating in the normal operating range (temperature, moisture, etc.). A safety monitoring mechanism 11 may also be coupled to the control unit 9, which mechanism prevents the locking of the delivery box 1 when there is some living being, such as a cat, a child, or the like inside the box. For example, an infrared detector 11 can be used in safety monitoring to detect any moving source of heat. The reference numeral 12 designates identification devices the function of which is to identify the transport boxes placed in the storage space. The control unit 9 comprises, as an integral part thereof, means for forming the telecommunications connection 10 with the service center, via which connection 10 the control unit 9 receives controls and reports on the state of the delivery box 1. By means of the service center, the heat transfer apparatus 4 of the delivery box can be switched on or off from a remote location and its control unit 9 can be directed to open the door for a deliveryman or for the customer. Based on the information recorded in the database of the service center, the customer can check whether goods have arrived and whether they have been picked up from the box. Owing to the telecommunications connection, the delivery box can also be coupled to form a part of the local network of the home. In the following, alternative apparatus and data transmission arrangements used in the system according to the invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the figure, the devices (1,25,26) which are controlled by the consumer and/or belong to the local network of the home, the data transmission networks (27,28, 34,35) used in telecommunications connections and the devices (29,30,31,32,33) belonging to the service center 20 are separated from one another with broken lines. The consumer has at his/her disposal a delivery box 1 and, as a data transmission means, for example, a mobile phone 25, a microcomputer 26 or a digital TV (not shown). A wired connection from the household to the Internet can be chosen from a group comprising a telephone modem, ISDN, ADSL and a cable-TV modem. In that connection, the microcomputer 26 or the digital TV set operates as a terminal. A wireless connection can be formed, for example, via a GSM mobile network by the WAP telephone 25 (Wireless Application Protocol). Wireless short-distance connections in the home network can be provided, for example, by means of a 2.45 GHz radio network (Bluetooth). Telecommunication in a mobile network 27 is digital data communication. Its form can be circuit switched data transmission (Circuit Switched Data Transmission CSD or its High Speed version HSCSD) or GPRS (Global Packet Radio System) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System). The information systems (not shown) of transport and commercial firms can also communicate with the service center 20 via the wireless data transmission network 27. From the mobile network 27, traffic is passed via a dial-up series 28 and a remote access server 29 (Remote Access Service) to a WAP gateway 30, which transmits the binary traffic of WAP as established WWW traffic in accordance with the HTTP protocol and further to a HTTP server 31. Service pages 32 in XML form are located on the HTTP server 31. A database 33 is also linked to the server 31, and all the essential information concerning the system has been stored in the card indexes and registers of said database. The operations of the service center 20 shown in Fig. 1 are carried out in Fig. 3 by the whole formed by the servers 29-31, the service pages 32 and the database 33. Via the Internet 34, the service center can be in connection not only with the customer and the delivery box 1 but also with suppliers and deliverers of goods as well as with the bank. In connection with collection and delivery of goods, wireless data collection terminals 35 are advantageously used, from which information is transmitted to the service center 20 either via the Internet 34 or via the wireless telecommunications network 27. In the following, the process of purchasing groceries electronically and the stages in the physical delivery of goods in connection therewith are further discussed in the form of an example. A customer contacts the service center 20 that monitors electronic commerce, home deliveries and the delivery boxes 1, using a suitable terminal provided with a browser, which terminal can be, for example, the WAP telephone 25, the microcomputer 26 operating in a network or a wireless hand-held computer. Via the service center, he/she accesses the web pages 32 which are, depending on the connection mode, for example, in XML, HTML or WML form. The portal transmitted by the server 31 shows the store's product range and allows an old shopping list to be edited or a new shopping list to be made by filling in electronic forms. The databases 33 of the service center contain information concerning the customer, such as personalized order pages and regular shopping lists, which facilitate and speed up the placing of an order. When needed, the customer may provide a delivery address and a delivery time if they differ from those agreed upon previously. The order is acknowledged and it is assigned a network identification code. The order may also be placed in writing (letter, fax) or orally (telephone, personal contact), in which connection the person receiving the order converts the order into electronic form and transmits it to the service center. The acknowledged order is transmitted from the service center via the Internet 34 or the GSM network 27 to the store or the supplier of goods. In the store, the products of the order list in electronic form are collected into transport boxes or other transport units provided with a customer identification code and an order identification code. Products requiring different storage temperatures are collected and packed separately. If any product listed on the shopping list is missing, it is replaced with another one, if the customer has given permission to do so beforehand. Otherwise, information is transmitted to the service center 20 that the order cannot be filled in this respect. In connection with collection, each product is scanned by a bar code or RFID data collection terminal 35, which is in practice a hand-held computer. Information about the collected products and about replacement products, if any, is collected into the memory of the data collection terminal 35 and transmitted further to a cash system which produces prices for the different products as well as for the entire shopping basket. The delivery note and the total price of purchases are sent electronically to the service center on which the information is immediately available to the customer, for example, for payment of the final invoice. The transport units provided with the customer and order identification codes are forwarded to a deliverer which can constitute a part of the store's operations or be a separate delivery firm. The deliverer has a data processing system at its disposal for preparing a delivery order. The shipments to be delivered to different customers are loaded into a van in such order that their unloading at the destination is easy and quick. The delivery van has refrigerated and/or heated storage spaces for products requiring different storage temperatures. Moreover, the van has a data collection terminal by means of which the transport units loaded into the van and their destinations are recorded. The van may also comprise navigation and route guidance devices, which report the location of the van at each particular moment to the service center. The transport units are delivered to the destination and left in the delivery box 1 which can be a box dimensioned for the needs of one customer or constitute a part of a larger set of boxes, of which only a part is reserved for the use of the customer. The deliverer contacts the service center 20, for example, by mobile phone or by an identification device provided in connection with the box. The service center checks the deliverer's authorization, sends the box an opening instruction and records that the delivery has been completed. The safety of delivery can be increased by providing the transport units and delivery boxes with a bar code or a RFID tag, which are identified by a suitable reader device before the products are placed in the delivery box. Thus, the products cannot be placed in a wrong box. The customer can check with the service center 20 any time whether delivery has been made and what the delivery lot contains and costs. In connection with delivery, it is also possible to collect items returned by customers, such as products complained about, empty bottles, transport boxes left after previous deliveries of goods, etc. The customer has informed the service center beforehand about the items to be returned, which the deliverer then scans as received and takes with him into the delivery van in order to be returned to the store. At its best, the delivery box is a combination of a refrigerator, a freezer and a dry storage space operating as a part of the cold-storage chain, provided with the necessary automatic systems and placed in the open air, which combination serves as temporary locked storage for goods monitoring its own state (doors, a compressor, valves, temperatures, etc.) and visitors electronically. The delivery box is provided with a network connection via which it is a member of the Internet community. The service and maintenance of the box can also be taken care of automatically from the service center via this connection. The service center transmits real-time information to the various parties involved in the delivery chain. The number of delivery boxes monitored by one service center may be of the order of 300 to 3000. Via the service center, information can be obtained, among other things, about the customer register, statistics, customer profiles and lists of regular purchases, the latest order, the status of a delivery, possible supplements, returned items, information about the delivery van, etc. The service center has information about the stage of the delivery, and the customer gets from there, if he/she desires, real-time information about the progress of his/her order. The service center monitors the operation of the delivery box and alerts if there are any faults in the operation. Information can also be transmitted via the service center to the processes controlling and monitoring the operation of different partial stages. The integrated system also accomplishes the functions relating to control of the distribution chain and to improvement of the customer relationship. Connections to the Internet and XML compatibility bring the systems of the store, goods suppliers, transport and banks to the same common forum. Through this, it is possible, in principle, to organize all the functions associated with the delivery chain of groceries: persuasion and making of offers, ordering, financing and payment, production, transfer, storage and transport.

Claims: Claims 1. An integrated system for delivery of goods to a customer, in particular in the field of the grocery business, which system comprises one or more delivery boxes (1) for unattended delivery of goods, characterized in that the system comprises a service center (20) which monitors and controls the system and the operation and use of the delivery boxes (1) belonging thereto in a centralized manner. 2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that each delivery box (1) comprises an impervious, weatherproof and heat-insulated outer shell (2), the interior space of which has been divided into several sections and compartments, of which at least some can be separated tightly or almost tightly from one another, and a heat transfer apparatus (4), by means of which different storage temperatures can be arranged in the different compartments, as well as a control unit (9) and locking means (5), the operation of which is controlled and monitored by the service center (20). 3. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the heat transfer apparatus (4) of the delivery box (1) comprises heating means and cooling means, the operation of which is controlled by the control unit (9) in order to maintain the temperature of the different sections and compartments of the delivery box (1) in a range determined by the service center (20) independently of the open air temperature. 4. A system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the compartments of the delivery box (1) form a warm space, a refrigerator space and/or a freezer, by means of which it is assured that the cold chain in the delivery of food products is unbroken in unattended delivery. 5. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the service center (20) comprises: - a database (33) in which all information concerning the system is stored, - service pages (32), advantageously in XML form, directing operation, - servers, such as WWW, SQL, Gateway, SMS and RAS servers (29, 30, 31), and - wireless and fixed information network interfaces, by means of which the service center (20) is able, for example, to monitor and control the operation of the delivery box (1), record the state of the delivery box (1), track the progress of the delivery of goods and transmit real-time information to the customer. 6. A system according to claim 5, characterized in that the service center (20) is able to receive and transmit further information both via a wireless telecommunications network (27), such as a GSM, GPRS, UMTS subscriber connection, and via an Internet connection in a wired network (34). 7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the service center (20) comprises means for checking user rights and for sending a message to the delivery box (1) in order to open the door. 8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the service center (20) comprises a database in which the history, exception and alert information of all the delivery boxes (1) belonging to the system is stored. 9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each delivery box (1) belonging to the system and each transport unit used in delivery are provided with an individual identifier, such as, a bar code and/or an RFID tag to assure the correctness of delivery. 10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the delivery box (1) is provided with a safety mechanism (11) which detects any living being moving inside the box and prevents the door from being locked in that connection. 11. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the delivery box (1) comprises means to detect whether the door (7) of the box is closed or open. 12. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the delivery box (1) comprises heating means for keeping the seals of the door non-freezing and dry. 13. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the delivery box (1) or a set of boxes formed of several delivery boxes is provided with a touch screen, a keypad and/or a reader device (8) which has a connection with the service center (20) and is connected to the same network and by means of which the user can identify himself/herself. 14. A method for delivery of goods to a customer, in particular in the field of the grocery business, characterized in that product groups requiring different storage temperatures are packed in separate recorded transport units which are kept during transport at a temperature suitable for each product group and delivered into a delivery box (1) in which the product groups requiring different temperatures are placed in compartments maintained at different temperatures, and that the delivery is monitored by a service center (20) which, among other things, receives information about an order, records information about delivery of goods in the delivery box (1), monitors and controls the operation of the delivery box (1), and transmits real-time information about the progress of the delivery of goods to the customer. 15. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that it additionally comprises the stages in which the service center (20) records information coming from the customer about products to be returned and reserves for them a space in the delivery box (1), the customer places the products to be returned in the delivery box (1) and the deliverer takes the products from the delivery box (1), records them as received and transports them to a given address according to instructions received from the service center (20).

Inventors: AARINEN REINO, SALO RISTO, AARINEN, REINO, SALO, RISTO
Applicants: AARINEN REINO, HOLLMING OY, SALO RISTO, AARINEN, REINO, SALO, RISTO
Application year: 2001
Main classification: G07F17
IPC codes: A47G29, F25D29, F25D31