Patent ID: 7268666

Claim:
A process for operating an article delivery receptacle comprising an electronic code lock, wherein opening of the article delivery receptacle for delivery of articles to a recipient occurs by means of a permanent delivery code authorizing access to a deliverer, the deliverer entering the permanent delivery code into the code lock in order to open the article delivery receptacle, and by means of a recipient key controlled by the recipient, the recipient key comprising a key code for the code lock or a mechanical key for opening the article delivery receptacle, said process comprising the steps of: (a) blocking access to the article delivery receptacle after opening of the article delivery receptacle by means of the permanent delivery code has occurred so that after access is blocked, the article delivery receptacle can be opened only by means of the recipient key; and (b) allowing access to the article delivery receptacle by means of the permanent delivery code again as soon as opening of the article delivery receptacle by means of the recipient key has occurred so that the article delivery receptacle can be opened afterwards by means of the permanent delivery code for the delivery of articles.