Smart Postal Box Compartment Control for Autonomous Delivery Nodes

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing volume of parcel deliveries due to e-commerce has led to increased road traffic, energy consumption, and labor costs, with existing delivery systems relying on centralized hubs and manual delivery methods, which are inefficient and often result in failed deliveries and repeated attempts.

Innovation Solution

A smart postal box system that includes a controller to manage and secure multiple compartments, allowing autonomous vehicles and drones to deliver packages directly to the box, which can adjust its internal layout and temperature, and provide secure access to authorized recipients, reducing the need for manual handling and re-delivery attempts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If centralized hubs and manual delivery methods are used, then delivery coordination is achieved, but road traffic, energy consumption, and labor costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery coordination efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the final delivery leg from the centralized hub system by placing autonomous delivery nodes directly at residential addresses. These nodes independently handle package storage and retrieval, eliminating the need for delivery vehicles to travel to each address and for drivers to manually deliver packages, thereby reducing road traffic and energy consumption while maintaining delivery coordination efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous delivery node serves as an intermediary between the centralized hub and the final recipient. It receives packages from delivery vehicles at the hub, stores them securely in designated compartments, and makes them available for recipient retrieval, thereby decoupling the centralized coordination function from the final delivery action and reducing the need for repeated delivery attempts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If manual delivery and signature confirmation are required, then delivery security is ensured, but failed deliveries and re-delivery attempts increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery securityVSAvoiddelivery time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring secure compartments at the autonomous delivery node before the package arrives. The recipient's authorization credentials are pre-loaded into the node, and the appropriate compartment is prepared in advance. When the package arrives, the system automatically verifies authorization and places the package in the pre-designated compartment, eliminating the need for the recipient to be present or sign for delivery, thereby ensuring security while preventing failed deliveries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous delivery node enables self-service delivery by automatically authenticating recipients using pre-loaded credentials (such as mobile device identifiers or biometric data) and independently managing package release. The recipient simply needs to present their authorization credential at the node, which then automatically retrieves and releases the package without requiring driver intervention or manual signature collection, thereby maintaining security while eliminating delivery failures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If multiple delivery attempts are made, then delivery completion is achieved, but labor expenses and road traffic increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery completion rateVSAvoidlabor expenses

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the package from the delivery vehicle and places it directly into the autonomous delivery node during the initial delivery attempt. The node then independently manages all subsequent interactions with the recipient, eliminating the need for drivers to make multiple trips or manually handle packages during re-delivery attempts. This extraction of the delivery function from the vehicle/driver system reduces labor expenses and road traffic while maintaining high delivery completion rates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If autonomous delivery nodes are deployed, then delivery efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous delivery node is segmented into distinct functional modules: a controller for managing operations, multiple independently controllable compartments for different packages, rolling doors for secure access, and communication interfaces for coordinating with the hub and authenticating recipients. Each module operates semi-independently, allowing the system to handle complex delivery scenarios through simple, modular actions. This segmentation manages device complexity by breaking down the overall system into manageable, standardized components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10537194B2Smart postal box in support of autonomous delivery nodes

Publication Date: 2020.01.21 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a controller determines a particular compartment of a smart postal box in which a package is to be delivered. The controller associates the particular compartment with an authorized entity. The controller provides the authorized entity access to the particular compartment by aligning rolling doors of the smart postal box with the particular compartment.