Patent Publication Number: US-2006010077-A1

Title: Methods and apparatus for unattended pickups and deliveries

Description:
DIVISIONAL APPLICATION  
      The present application is a divisional of application U.S. Ser. No. 09/561,835, filed on Apr. 28, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The subject matter relates generally to package transport. More particularly, the subject matter relates to methods and apparatus that enable packages to be picked up or delivered at unattended locations by delivery personnel in a manner that safeguards such packages from theft and adverse environmental conditions.  
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION  
      In the field of package transport and delivery, it is well known to use mailboxes located at a postal station or in the vicinity of residences or other buildings occupied by the intended recipients of packages. Generally, mailboxes are suitable for letter-sized packages, but they are not suitable for large packages. Lockable mailboxes that can accommodate large packages and that are accessible by postal delivery personnel are also known, but such mailboxes can only be accessed by postal delivery personnel and the mailbox owner.  
      With the anticipated rapid growth in Internet commerce, there is projected a corresponding increase in the delivery of packages by delivery personnel. Such packages can be of any type, value, size, weight, and durability. They can include a wide spectrum of items ranging from jewelry, consumer electronics, groceries, cash, pharmaceuticals, large documents, fine art, and so forth.  
      The preponderance of deliveries need to be made during the working day, which is the peak delivery time for most delivery companies. However, with increasing numbers of people being away from their residence during the day, it is increasingly difficult for delivery personnel to make contact with intended recipients of packages to complete delivery. Consequently, delivery personnel are often compelled to leave packages on a porch or protruding from a mailbox or door, or to attempt to locate a neighbor who is willing to sign for the package; otherwise, delivery personnel must return packages to a distribution center, attempt to make contact with the intended recipient, and deliver the package at a later time. The current process is very inefficient and wastes a significant amount of time and non-renewable vehicular fuel resources. In addition, when packages are not secured at the point of delivery, they are subject to theft, pilferage, spoilage, as well as damage and/or destruction resulting from adverse environmental conditions.  
      It is often necessary for delivery personnel to pick up packages from residences and other buildings notwithstanding the absence of anyone to safeguard the packages until they can be put into the hands of the delivery personnel.  
      For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a significant need in the art for methods and apparatus that enable the unattended delivery and pickup of packages in a manner that overcomes the problems mentioned above. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a residential building having a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of electrical components associated with a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a token or access card for a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method for operating a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice them, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a residential building  10  having a secure pickup and delivery container  1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Secure container  1  is intended as a secure repository wherein a package  2  can be deposited for later pickup or delivery. A “package” is broadly defined herein as any item that is transported in any manner from one entity (referred to as a “shipper”) to another entity (referred to as a “recipient”) by means of a transporting entity (referred to as a “delivery person”).  
      A delivery person  7  is shown carrying a package  2  for deposit in secure container  1 . Secure container  1  is a self-standing box located near the door  3  of residential building  10 , according to an embodiment; however, in other embodiments it can be situated in any suitable location proximate to or within a building that houses one or more intended shippers and/or recipients. For example, secure container  1  could be built into an exterior wall of building  10  or buried partially or entirely underground except for a user-accessible door. In the case wherein secure container  1  is integral with a building, the user-accessible door could be formed as part of an existing door, panel, wall, or other architectural element of the building, so long as it provides the desired degree of physical accessibility to delivery personnel and the requisite protection for packages.  
      In an embodiment, delivery person  7  carries a token  6  for accessing secure container  1 . A “token” is defined herein to include a smart card, credit card, a magnetically encoded card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or other handheld computing device, a bar-coded card or label, a device capable of communicating via radio frequency or light signals, or any other device that is readily transportable and that can store information. Token  6  need not comprise “active” electronic components, but it can be implemented with “passive” or even purely mechanical components, according to some embodiments. Further details concerning token  6  are provided below.  
      In an embodiment, building  10  houses a computer  20 , such as a personal computer, that is capable of communicating over a network, such as the Internet. According to an embodiment, the network connection is a high speed Internet connection using, for example, a terrestrial or satellite antenna  5 ; however, any type of network connection could be used, including a digital subscriber line (DSL), cable modem, integrated services digital network (ISDN), telephone modem, wireless modem, network card, or the like.  
      Computer  20  can be utilized, as described in greater detail below, where it is referred to as one type of “user device”, to order items to be delivered to secure container  1 . In addition, computer  20  can be utilized, in an embodiment, to define and store access privilege information that sets forth specific limits on physical access to secure container  1 . The access privilege information is stored, according to an embodiment, in a control unit (described regarding  FIG. 3  below) associated with secure container  1 .  
      In addition, information can be communicated to computer  20  concerning an access of secure container  1  or an attempted access of secure container  1 . Such information can include the identity of the delivery person(s), the date and/or time of each access or attempted access, and the identity of each package that has been picked up from and/or delivered to secure container  1 .  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a secure pickup and delivery container  202 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Secure container  202  includes a lockable door  204  that can include a handle  206 . In an embodiment door  204  is coupled to secure container  202  by means of suitable hinges  208 . Door  204  allows access to an interior part of the secure container  202 . Other types of doors besides hinged doors could be used, such as sliding, shuttered, or revolving doors.  
      Secure container  202  includes an access element  210  that can be implemented in a variety of ways, such as with a token or card slot  212  or a keypad, as described further below. A delivery person must present access request information to access element  210  that matches stored access privilege information in order to gain physical access to secure container  202 .  
      Secure container  202  can be anchored using any suitable anchoring element that renders secure container  202  substantially immobile. In an embodiment, flanges or panels  220  are provided on secure container  202 , and they are anchored to an appropriate structure such as a wall, foundation, concrete slab, or the like, using tamper-resistant fasteners such as anchor bolts  222 . Anchor bolts  222  can be of any type and can have a large disc  224  to resist removal. Anchor bolts  226  can be similar to anchor bolts  222 , but rather than being inserted through panels  220 , they are inserted through apertures in the floor (not shown) on the interior of secure container  202  to thwart attempts to remove the secure container by removal of the bolt heads.  
      Secure container  202  can include a self-contained power source, such as a solar panel  218  that, in an embodiment, enables secure container  202  to be located anywhere without requiring a connection to an electric power line. An antenna  216  can be provided, according to an embodiment, to support wireless communications to and/or from secure container  202 ; alternatively, communications with secure container  202  can be supported via a cable or other wireline element  230  that links secure container  202  with a computer network that is accessible by shippers, recipients, and/or delivery personnel.  
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of electrical components associated with a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The electrical components include a system bus  301 , a control unit  302 , a power supply  318 , an electric lock  330 , and an access element to receive a request to access the interior of the container. The access element can be of any suitable type, such as a card/token reader  313 , keypad  316 , and/or a biometric scanner  319 . Other types of access elements can be utilized with embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing card/token reader  313 , keypad  316 , and biometric scanner  319  are merely illustrative. For example, a programmable bar-code reader on the secure pickup and delivery container could read a bar-coded label on a package. Likewise, any of a number of access elements could be employed that comprise a wireless interface element to communicate with a token via a wireless interface, e.g. a radio frequency or light-based interface, when the token takes the form, for example, of a wireless PDA, a one-way or two-way radio, an RF tag device, a laser-based device, an infra-red device, or the like. To provide additional security or for other reasons, more than one access element and/or more than one token could be utilized. The design of suitable access elements to implement the herein-disclosed embodiments of the present invention is well within the abilities of one skilled in the art.  
      Control unit  302  includes a processing element in the form of local processor  304 , and it further includes a memory element in the form of local memory  306 . Local processor  304  executes computer program instructions stored in local memory  306 , stores data into local memory  306 , and reads data from local memory  306 .  
      Local memory  306  can comprise any suitable type or types of memory storage elements, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), hard disk, floppy disk, compact disk (CD), or any other type of memory device or combination of memory devices. Local memory  306  includes a memory area  307  that stores algorithms in the form of computer-executable instructions, data structures, and/or other data types. These algorithms can be utilized by certain embodiments of the present invention to perform various methods of operating a secure pickup and delivery container, illustrative ones of which will be described further below.  
      Local processor  304  can be of any suitable type. As used herein, “processor” means any type of computational element, such as but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or any other type of processor or processing circuit. In an embodiment, local processor  304  is an Intel (R) Pentium (R) III processor available from Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif.  
      Control element  302  can also include a wireline interface  308 , to which at least one user device  331  can be coupled, and/or a wireless interface in the form of wireless transceiver  310 , with which at least one user device  332  can be in wireless communication via antenna  312  over wireless link  339 .  
      User devices can include computers of all types, including personal computers, hand-held computers, and Web appliances; cellular and wireline telephones; pagers; televisions; radios of all types; video game players; and any other device capable of communication. Depending upon the particular implementation, user devices can communicate information unidirectionally to or from control unit  302  or communicate bidirectionally with control unit  302 .  
      For example, a user device  331  or  332  can communicate access privilege information to be stored in local memory  306  of control unit  302 .  
      The access privilege information can comprise, for example, information regarding a package. Such package-specific information could grant access only for the delivery of a specifically identified package. The identity of the package could be entered by the delivery person at the time of delivery. Alternatively, the package shipping papers or address label could, for example, contain a token that, upon presentation to the secure container&#39;s access element, grants physical access to the secure container.  
      The access privilege information can comprise, for example, information regarding a container, such as the identity of the container.  
      The access privilege information can comprise, for example, information regarding a delivery person who is authorized to physically access the secure container. The identity information can identify a particular individual or a group of individuals, or it can grant unrestricted access to anyone presenting a token to the secure container&#39;s access element.  
      The access privilege information can comprise information, for example, regarding a token, such as the identity of the token and/or token holder, type of token, and so forth.  
      The access privilege information can comprise, for example, information regarding location, such as the geographical location of a secure container to which access is desired to be granted. Alternatively, such location information could grant access by delivery personnel to all secure containers located within a specified region and deny access to secure containers outside of the region.  
      The access privilege information can comprise, for example, information that indicates what manner of notification should be made regarding an attempted access of the container, or regarding a successful access of the container, or regarding an unsuccessful access of the container. Such information includes information specifying who should be notified, when and how notification should be made, whether an acknowledgment of such notification is to be requested from the person notified, and so forth.  
      The access privilege information can comprise, for example, date and/or time information. Date and/or time information could grant access during a specified range of dates and/or during a specified range of times. For example, access could be granted only during a two-day period and only between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  
      The access privilege information can comprise, for example, frequency of delivery information. Frequency of delivery information could grant only a specified quantity or number of accesses and deny access after that number had been reached. The frequency of access information could be reset on a daily, weekly, or other periodic basis, or it could be a one-time value that, when attained, renders the token void.  
      Other types of access privilege information can be communicated to and stored in control unit  302 , depending upon the needs of the particular pickup and delivery system the subject matter is utilized in.  
      Access privilege information can be communicated to control unit  302  at any time and corresponding to any of a variety of transactions. For example, if a recipient places a telephone order for the delivery of perishable goods requiring refrigeration, either the recipient or the shipper could send access privilege information to local memory  306  of control unit  302  specifying the desired access privileges, which could identify the delivery person, the anticipated time range of delivery, and the location of the secure container. In addition, the access privilege information could include information specifying that certain actions shall occur concurrently with or shortly after the moment of delivery. These could include notification to the shipper and/or recipient of the delivery by communication of a message to a user device or the activation of indicator  334  (discussed below). These could further include an order for the control unit  302  to turn on the alternative power supply that comprises rechargeable battery  324  and solar panel  325  (discussed below). They could additionally include an order to turn on the climate control element  333  (discussed below)  
      In an embodiment, user devices  331  and  332  communicate information to system users, such as shippers and recipients, to notify them of event occurrences. For example, notification can be communicated regarding a delivery to or a pickup from a secure container. Notification can also be made concerning an attempted access of a secure container resulting in a denial of access, and such notification could include the identity of the token holder, the date and/or time of the attempted access, the geographical location of the secure container, and/or the identity of the particular package attempted to be delivered or picked up.  
      Indicator  334  can be any suitable mechanism for providing a human perceivable indication, such as a visual annunciator  338  that emits a light beam or an audible annunciator  336  that emits sound. Indicator  334  can be used to indicate that the secure container has been accessed, or that an attempt to access the secure container has occurred; according to an embodiment, different visual and/or audible signals are used to differentiate successful and failed deliveries.  
      As mentioned earlier, the electrical components of the secure container comprise an access element that can be implemented in a variety of ways, such as with a card/token reader  313  having a card/token slot  315 . Card/token reader  313  can be any device having a portion such as card/token slot  315  to which a card or other token can be mated. When information stored on the token is identical to, or otherwise favorably compares with, information stored in or communicated to card/token reader  313 , a positive match occurs, and this event is communicated over system bus  301  to local processor  304 , which can then order electric lock  330  to open; otherwise, local processor  304  does not order electric lock  330  to open, and processor  304  may store an indication of an attempted access in local memory  306 .  
      An electric keypad  316 , optionally coupled to system bus  301  via bus  317 , can be used in place of or in conjunction with card/token reader  313 . Electric keypad  316  is electrically programmable, and it enables delivery personnel who do not have a card/token to access the secure container. A recipient could, for example, program electric keypad  316  for use by a friend to pick up an item from the secure container, or for use by a local small-business person to deliver an order into the secure container.  
      A biometric scanner  319 , optionally coupled to system bus  301  via bus  314 , can be used in place of or in conjunction with card/token reader  313  and electric keypad  316 . Biometric scanner  319  can be of any known type that compares a scan of a biological attribute, such as a retina pattern, fingerprint, or voice pattern, of a delivery person with a stored sample of such attribute and generates a positive signal over system bus  301  to local processor  304  if a satisfactory match occurs.  
      As mentioned earlier in the description, many other types of access elements can be utilized with embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing card/token reader  313 , keypad  316 , and biometric scanner  319  are merely illustrative.  
      A power supply  318  supplies regulated voltage to the electrical components that are associated with the secure container. In an embodiment, power supply  318  is powered by line voltage via line  320 . Optionally, a self-standing power supply subsystem can include at least one rechargeable battery  324  and a solar panel  326  to charge battery  324  as solar conditions permit. (As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a solar panel  218  can be built into an appropriate panel of the secure container  202 .)  
      Electric lock  330  is an electrically actuated lock that is triggered to open upon receiving one or more electric pulses or electrical signals, such as a combination of digital signals, over system bus  301  from local processor  304 . Unless electric lock  330  is actuated, it remains locked, keeping the door  204  ( FIG. 2 ) of secure container  202  closed to physical entry.  
      Climate control element  333  is optionally coupled via bus  337  to system bus  301 , and it is employed to maintain a desired environment within the secure container. Climate control element  333  can include a heater element, a cooling element, or both, as well as a thermostat and any other climate control elements, such as a humidifier and/or dehumidifier, that may be necessary to maintain the environment within the secure container in a desired state.  
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a token or access card  6  for a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As indicated elsewhere in the description, token  6  can be a smart card, credit card, a magnetically encoded card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or other handheld computing device, a bar-coded card or label, a device capable of communicating via radio frequency or light signals, or any other device that is readily transportable and that can store information. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 , token  6  is a programmable smart card that includes a connector  401  for coupling to a card reader (such as card/token reader  313 ,  FIG. 3 ); alternatively, token  6  can be coupled to a card reader through non-contact means such as inductive coupling, optical scanning, radio-frequency (RF) scanning, or the like.  
      Token  6  also comprises a card reader interface  415  that comprises suitable known circuitry for interfacing the internal electrical components of token  6  with an access element such as a card reader. Card reader interface  415  serves to pass information in at least one direction between token  6  and a card/token reader  313  ( FIG. 3 ) and preferably bidirectionally.  
      Token  6  further comprises a processor  411 , a clock  414 , and at least one computer-readable medium in the form of an electronic memory or storage element, such as random access memory (RAM)  412  and electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM)  413 . Processor  411  executes computer program instructions stored in RAM  412  and/or EEPROM  413 , stores data into RAM  412  and/or EEPROM  413 , and reads data from RAM  412  and/or EEPROM  413 .  
      Processor  411  can be of any suitable type, including those mentioned earlier with respect to local processor  304 . The particular type is not essential to the implementation of embodiments of the present invention.  
      EEPROM  413  can alternatively be any other type of non-volatile memory such as flash memory. EEPROM  413  includes a memory area  416  that stores algorithms in the form of computer-executable instructions, data structures, and/or other data types. These algorithms can be utilized by certain embodiments of the present invention to perform various methods of accessing a secure pickup and delivery container. Memory area  416  also stores access information that, when token  6  is mated with a token reader such as card/token reader  313  ( FIG. 3 ), is used to determine whether the secure container will be opened or not to the holder of token  6 . The access information stored in memory area  416  can include identity information, authorization information, access control information, and transaction information.  
      Identity information identifies a delivery person, a particular package, or a particular secure container, for example.  
      Authorization information identifies the scope of access privileges as they pertain to the token holder. For example, a token holder can be authorized to access secure containers only during his or her work shift and/or only in a specified geographical area.  
      Access control information identifies the scope of access permitted for one or more secure containers. For example, access to one or more secure containers may be limited to certain dates and/or times. Whereas earlier, in the description of  FIG. 3 , this information was described as being stored in the control units of secure containers, where it is used to make a determination whether to unlock the secure container or not, a less sophisticated and correspondingly less expensive control unit on the secure container could be employed if the access control information were stored on the token.  
      Transaction information identifies various attributes of an access transaction. Transaction information can be stored in a memory element, such as local memory  306  ( FIG. 3 ). Transaction information can also be appropriately distributed, for example, to be stored on a token carried by a delivery person. Transaction information can be distributed to any other entity, such as a shipper, a delivery company, and/or to a recipient. For example, transaction information can be distributed to a recipient&#39;s PDA or personal computer, either via a wireline interface or a wireless interface.  
      Transaction information can include information regarding a package, such as information identifying the package, the shipper, the package contents, and any other package attributes.  
      Transaction information can include information regarding a container to which access was made or attempted, such as the identity of the container.  
      Transaction information can include information regarding a delivery person accessing or attempting to access the secure container, such as the identity of the delivery person.  
      Transaction information can include information regarding a token, such as the identity of the token, as well as other token attributes, such as the type of token, the identity of the token holder or issuer, and so forth.  
      Transaction information can include information regarding a location, such as a geographical location of a container to which access was attempted or successfully made.  
      Transaction information can include information regarding access of the container, such as information indicating whether an access was attempted, and whether the access was successful or unsuccessful.  
      Transaction information can include date information and/or time information, for example identifying a date and/or time when an access was attempted or completed.  
      Other types of transaction information can be generated, stored, and/or distributed, depending upon the needs of the particular pickup and delivery system that the subject matter is utilized in.  
      In an embodiment, token  6  comprises a battery  404  for powering the electrical components of token  6 . In another embodiment, token  6  does not include a battery, and the electrical components are powered through appropriate conductor elements of connector  401 .  
      Token  6  further comprises a housing  406  that houses the constituent elements of token  6 . The shape of housing  406  is typically designed to mate with a corresponding portion of the access element, such as a card slot  315  ( FIG. 3 ) in card/token reader  313 . Thus, in an embodiment housing  406  is card-shaped. However, housing  406  could be of any desired shape.  
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method for operating a secure pickup and delivery container, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The method can be performed by computer processors, such as those contained in user devices  331  and/or  332  ( FIG. 3 ), or such as local processor  304  ( FIG. 3 ) and token processor  411  ( FIG. 4 ), which processors, whether singly or in combination, execute suitable instructions to carry out the various operations of the method. The method begins in  501 .  
      In  503 , first access information is generated, for example, by user devices  331  and/or  332  ( FIG. 3 ). The first access information can be identity information (e.g. identity of delivery person, identity of container, identity of token, etc.), location information, date information, time information, access frequency information, package-specific information, and/or information specifying what to do if an access is attempted or completed, all substantially as discussed earlier.  
      In  505 , the first access information is stored in the control unit of a secure container, for example in local memory  306  ( FIG. 3 ).  
      In  507 , second access information is entered into an access element using a token. As mentioned earlier, a “token” can include a programmable card, a keypad, and/or a biometric scanner, and any other device that is readily transportable and that can store information. The second access information is generally required to be identical or similar to the first access information, in order to permit access to the container interior by unlocking the door.  
      In  509 , the first and second information are evaluated, for example by local processor  304  ( FIG. 3 ) executing suitable computer program instructions.  
      In  511 , a determination is made whether the first and second information match. If so, the method proceeds to  513 ; if not, it goes to  515 . “Match” is defined herein to mean that the first and second information are substantially identical within some acceptable degree of tolerance.  
      In  513 , the door on the secure container is unlocked, so that a package can be deposited within the secure container.  
      In  515 , an indicator is activated to notify either that an access has been made to the secure container or that an access attempt has been made. The visual or audible annunciator of the indicator could emit different lights or sounds to differentiate a valid access from a failed access attempt.  
      In  517 , a signal is transmitted to a user device, for example user device  331  and/or user device  332 , using wireline or wireless communications, respectively. As described earlier, the signal can provide notification regarding the details of the access or access attempt. The signal can be stored in the user device at a remote location for later analysis or reporting.  
      In  519 , an acknowledgment is received from a user device in response to its receipt of the transmitted notification signal. In an embodiment, the acknowledgment is recorded in the token  6  of the delivery person  7 , thus serving as an electronic “signature” for the pickup or delivery of the package.  
      The method ends in  521 .  
      It will be noted from the above description that user devices  331  and/or  332  (refer, for example, to  FIG. 3 ) may communicate first access information (also referred to herein as “access privilege information”) as well as receive transaction information. The term “integral hand-held recipient user device” refers herein to an embodiment in which a hand-held “user device” (as previously defined) may be used by a “recipient” (as previously defined) to generate first access information and to receive transaction information.  
      The operations described in the flow diagrams can be performed in a different order from that shown. It should also be understood that, while the methods depicted in the flow diagrams are depicted as having an “end”, they can be performed continuously.  
      The inventive subject matter provides a secure pickup and delivery container that enables delivery personnel to pick up packages from, and to deliver packages to, residences and other buildings notwithstanding the absence of anyone to safeguard the packages from theft or adverse environmental conditions. The architecture of the computing and electrical structures that are used to implement embodiments of the invention provides a great deal of flexibility and scalability, so that embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of commercially competitive products.  
      Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the subject matter. For example, the subject matter could be used by a package delivery enterprise to maintain statistical records of deliveries, including productivity statistics, such as the number of deliveries per delivery person per unit time or per unit distance. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments of this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.