Secure locker system and method

US6862576B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Fujitsu Services Limited · GB

Inventors

• Edwin Turner · Marlow, GB
• Adrian Paul West · Launton, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 3, 2000
• Grant date: Mar 1, 2005
• Expiry date: Jun 21, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S715/963
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A locker system which permits secure delivery, or collection, of goods at a location and that can be associated with a single household or disposed centrally with respect to a plurality of households. A set of lockers, which may be of different sizes, capable of being in different states, e.g. ambient, chilled, frozen, and which are lockable separately, is disposed at the location. In-residence IT systems including computer means, such as servers, permit householders to place on-line orders with retailers/service providers, such as over the Internet. Prior to order placement, an appropriate locker for the size and state of the goods is reserved, such as by the household server contacting a management server via an Intranet. An access code required for unlocking the reserved locker is supplied to the household server, and forwarded to the retailer/service provider over the Internet together with the order and reserved locker location information. The retailer/service provider downloads the access code onto an electronic key, such as a smartcard, which the delivery person uses at delivery time in conjunction with a controller having an appropriate key reader. The controller with key …