Patent ID: 6862576

Claim:
A computerized home shopping system comprising: (a) a plurality of individually-lockable lockers for storage of goods, (b) a locker control system for controlling locking and unlocking of said lockers (c) an in-residence information technology (IT) system for enabling a householder to create an order for goods from a retailer/service provider, (d) means operable upon creation of the order, for reserving a particular locker from said plurality of lockers for the storage of said goods upon delivery, and for allocating an access code permitting unlocking of said locker, where said locker is of an appropriate size and environment for said goods, (e) means for forwarding said access code to a said retailer/service provider, together with said order, and (f) means for enabling a delivery person, when delivering said goods, to enter said access code to said locker control system, (g) said locker control system including means for interpreting said access code to indicate said locker and unlock it for use by said delivery person, and means to relock said locker after use by said delivery person and to indicate to the in-residence IT system that the delivery person has visited.