AU6962800A - Security delivery system - Google Patents

Description

P/00/01 1 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT 0* a* a a a Invention Title: Applicant: SECURITY DELIVERY SYSTEM JAN DKAY PTY LTD a. *a a a The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: PAustralia N Documents received on.: 0 Batch No: W:SKARONlAd,-PCTCOMPORLMSWCTFORMS.DC SECURITY DELIVERY SYSTEM The present invention relates to a security delivery system particularly for use in the delivery of goods which have been purchased in electronic or on-line trading. It will be convenient to describe the invention in relation to that particular application, although it is to be appreciated that the system could provide security delivery for goods purchased through other mechanisms or outlets.

Electronic or on-line trading (hereinafter "electronic trading") is rapidly becoming a major source through which purchases of a largely unlimited variety of goods can be made. Goods are generally offered for sale through Internet web sites and a purchaser can order and pay for the goods by credit card and then await delivery. The convenience for the purchaser, is that goods can be browsed and a purchase can be made through a computer terminal at the 15 purchaser's home or office, so that there is no longer a need to visit a retail outlet and to provide their own return transport of the purchased goods.

.However, a major drawback with electronic trading, is that concerned *with the delivery of goods after purchase. Most goods are too large to be left in a normal post box, and in any event, such goods are normally of a value, that delivery to an unsecured post box places them at risk of theft or damage.

Thus, it is normal practice for delivery companies to request that the purchaser arrange for the premises at the delivery address to be occupied, so that the goods can be securely received. Furthermore, this enables the delivery company to receive an actual signature confirming receipt of the goods which is not the case if the goods are simply left at the delivery address. Clearly these arrangements are inconvenient to the purchaser of the goods, in particular, because transport operators can rarely pinpoint an exact time when delivery will be made. In practice, a "delivery window" of some several hours is normally required within which delivery will be made. Thus, there can be major disruption to the normal daily activities of the purchaser who is required to leave the delivery address occupied to ensure receipt of delivery. Without such a window, and also where the window is too short, a delivery can arrive without the premises being occupied and then the delivery cannot be made. Thus the goods must be redelivered at a later date, inconveniencing both the purchaser and the delivery body, and increasing costs. As deliveries of this kind increase in volume and as time constraints on purchasers become greater, a new system for security delivery is highly desirable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a security delivery system which overcomes or at least alleviates some of the above disadvantages. It is a further object of the invention to provide a security delivery system in which goods can be delivered to a premises in a secure manner without the occupant of the premises needing to be in attendance. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a security delivery system in which both the purchaser and the delivery company receive a receipt acknowledging that delivery of the particular goods has taken place.

According to the present invention there is provided a security delivery system including a security container which has locked and unlocked conditions S 15 for receipt and secure temporary storage of delivered goods, and a code system which governs unlocking of said container for the deposit of goods therein and for retrieval of goods therefrom, said code system including a *...*confidential access code which is allocated for use with said container by a system controller that has control over the use of said container, the use of said S 20 access code facilitating unlocking of said container, said security delivery system including communication between said system controller and a goods delivery body engaged to deliver purchased goods to said security container for notifying said delivery body of said access code.

The access code could be allocated by the owner or lessor of the security container, although it could equally be allocated for the owner or lessor (hereinafter "the system controller") by a body which has responsibility for overseeing operation of the security delivery system. The code is preferably known only to the system controller of the security container, although a responsible body of the kind described above, may also keep records of codes in a confidential manner. Alternatively, such a body may keep a master code that overrides an allocated code, for example if the allocated code is lost.

The use of the term "code" throughout this specification is not to be understood as being restricted to a code of a numeric, alpha or alphanumeric 4 code as would be commonly understood by this term. Instead, the term "code" is to be understood as encompassing any facility or mechanism suitable for transferring the security container between the locked and unlocked conditions and which can be transferred verbally or in writing by the system controller in the goods purchase to the goods vendor. Thus, the term "code" cannot encompass a key and lock arrangement, but can encompass an appropriate electronic key or tag recognition system, or other devices or systems which are presently employed, or which may be employed in the future for locking and unlocking a container.

The security delivery system of the invention relies on communication of the access code between the system controller, the goods vendor and/or the delivery body, so that the security container can be unlocked for deposit of goods. Thus, the system involves means to permit notification of the access code to the goods vendor and/or the delivery body at the time of purchase of 15 goods for deposit in the security container. The notification means can take any suitable form, and in electronic trading, this can involve providing the code to the goods vendor at the same time as address details and payment details are provided. Thus, the code can be communicated electronically by the system controller to the goods vendor and that code may form part of other S 20 information, such as that described above, which the goods vendor receives when an order is made. With such an arrangement, there is then a transfer of relevant information between the goods vendor and the delivery body to ensure that that body receives the access code prior to delivery.

The delivery order can then be completed and the delivery personnel provided with the address and access code details for delivery of the purchased goods. Upon arrival at the delivery address, the delivery personnel locates the securely container and unlocks it by way of the access code already provided.

After depositing the goods, the security container is relocked and the goods are security held therewithin for retrieval by the system controller upon return to the delivery address.

The security delivery system thus described advantageously permits secure delivery of goods when the premises at the delivery address are unoccupied. However, that in itself does not fulfil all the requirements of an acceptable security system, which demands that receipt or acknowledgment of delivery of goods is provided. To date however, such receipt or acknowledgment can only be provided by the physical presence at the delivery premises of the goods purchaser. The security delivery system of the invention overcomes this problem, by provision of a receipt system as follows.

The receipt system includes at least two receipt portions which are exchanged between the system controller and the delivery personnel upon delivery of goods to the security container. Advantageously, the receipt system has been developed, such that the system controller is not required to be present at the delivery address when the goods are delivered. The receipt system includes a "delivery acknowledgment" record and a "delivery-made" record. Conveniently, these records can be in paper form, although other appropriate styles of records may be employed. The delivery acknowledgment record is completed by the system controller and is deposited in the security S 15 container prior to the goods delivery. The container may include a specific pocket for receipt of that record. The record can include a variety of information relating to the goods being delivered, such as the name and address of the system controller and a description of the type of goods being acknowledged as delivered. Other information can be provided as necessary.

The delivery-made record is provided by the delivery personnel and can indicate the date and time of delivery and the type of goods delivered.

The above records are exchanged by the delivery personnel on delivery of goods to the delivery container, so that the delivery body obtains a record that the security container was opened for delivery of goods, by removing and retaining the delivery acknowledgment record, while the system controller obtains a record that delivery was made, in the form of the delivery-made record. Clearly, this process does not require the presence of the system controller at the time of delivery, and therefore is far more convenient to both the system operator and the delivery body.

The access code of the security container preferably can be changed by the system controller as often as is considered necessary by it to retain adequate security. This may apply in particular in relation to premises that have a security container that is permanently fixed in place and which therefore 6 cannot be taken with the system controller should he, she or they move address. Alternatively, the system controller may simply wish to change the code after each or several deliveries as reassurance that knowledge of the code remains secure. The need to change the code can be minimised, by limiting access to the access code, such as solely to the delivery personnel and to limit cross-referencing information relating to the access code, such as details of the name and address of the purchaser. Once the delivery has been made, it is preferable that the access code details be destroyed, or securely secured in a confidential manner. In one preferred arrangement, the details of the access code provided to the delivery personnel may be left in the security container for disposal by the system controller.

In a different arrangement, the delivery personnel may simply be provided with a transmitter that has been programmed to transmit the access code to a receiver located in or on the security container. In this manner, 15 advantageously the actual delivery personnel do not physically receive the access code. The code is therefore kept largely confidential at all times. The .transmitter of this arrangement can be programmed electronically from S information downloaded from the goods vendor. The transmitter may have a read-out that indicates delivery address and date, but which does not disclose S 20 the access code. In this arrangement, it maybe possible to operate the security delivery system, without the access code being disclosed to anyone. The code may simply be provided and stored electronically and then electronically wiped when the delivery has been made.

The receipt system preferably includes a third record that the system controller completes and retains, which is separate from the delivery acknowledgment record. That,third record can indicate that a delivery was anticipated, should a delivery be made without the delivery personnel leaving a delivery-made record. When deliveries are made in accordance with the delivery system, such that a delivery-made record is left by the delivery personnel, that record can be retained with the third record for future reference.

The records of the receipt system can be provided in a booklet form, of say 100 sectioned dockets, for use by the system controller. An example form of one docket is shown in Figure 1, which is largely self explanatory. The 7 docket 10 includes three record sections namely a delivery acknowledgment record 11, a delivery-made record 12 and a third record 13. The references to ETA and ETB refer to "estimated time of arrival" and "electronic trader box" (security container) respectively.

An example will now be given of a typical type of transaction that is envisaged to be made according to the security delivery system of the invention.

1. The purchasing consumer (system controller) receives an ETB and allocates a 4-Digit Access Code on the locking facility supplied with the ETB. The consumer also receives booklet of receipt record dockets (such as of the kind shown in Figure 1.) 2. When the customer electronically places an order with an on-line or 0 15 direct delivery vendor, the consumer quotes (supplies) their ETB access code and a brief location description detailing the location of the ETB on ***the premises.

0.00 3. The on-line trader prints-out the consumer's shopping list, ETB access code and location description. This information is supplied to the on-line -:000: vendor's transport provider, so that the driver has the information to facilitate safe delivery of the ordered goods.

4. The driver arrives at the delivery address, armed with the access code and location description, unlocks the ETB, deposits the purchased goods and removes consumer's completed receipt docket.

The driver retains the delivery acknowledgment record section, fills-out his/her delivery-made record on the same docket detailing his/her name, the ETB access code he/she used, time and date of delivery, then leaves that record in the box (security container). He/she then re-locks the ETB.

8 6. The ETB preferably has a "delivery-made" indicator designed into it's construction so the customer knows that a delivery has been made without the need to unlock the ETB.

7. The client then unlocks the ETB, removes the goods and the deliverymade record and can staple that record to the third record in their docket booklet.

In the above example, notification of the access code may be a confidential notification in a system that employs an electronic transmitter of the kind described above. In that system, the delivery personnel has no record of the access code and therefore, that code remains more secure.

The above example has been recited in respect of an Internet-type electronic goods order and it is the case that the present invention is 15 particularly useful for that type of trade. However, the invention can have various other useful applications. For example, the system controller could provide the domestic postal organisation with its access code in order to receive parcels that cannot be delivered to a normal post box.

An appropriate form of ETB is shown in Figure 2. The ETB 20 of 20 Figure 2 includes a body 21 and a lid 22. The lid 22 is hinged to the body 21 ooooo along a rear edge 23 thereof. A supporting brace 24 holds the lid in the raised position shown in Figure 2 and the brace is pivotal about a central pivot to lower the lid into a closed position relative to the base 21. The lid 22 includes a latch 24 which can be secured over a member 25 by a combination lock 26. The combination lock 26 can include the four digit access code referred to in the example above for unlocking the lock 26 and lifting the lid 22.

The security container 20 further includes a delivery indicator 27 which can be tripped by delivery personnel to indicate that a delivery to the security container has been made. The indicator can take any suitable form, such as an LED indicator. Alternatively, a sliding plate can be employed to slide over a colour indicator, in which exposure of the colour red indicates that no delivery has been made, while exposure of the colour green indicates that there has been a delivery.

9 The container can further include a thermally insulated liner 28 to protect the contents of the container against overheating. The liner 28 may also be fire-rated to prevent damage to the container if the container is exposed to external flames. As shown in Figure 2, the lid 22 is fitted with document pouches 29 and, although not shown, the container may include various other compartments to facilitate receipt of different types of goods.

The invention described herein is susceptible to variations, modifications and/or additions other than those specifically described and it is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations, modifications and/or additions which fall within the spirit and scope of the above description.

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Claims (12)

1. A security delivery sy tem incding a security cdntainti. ic ha locked and unlocked conditions for receipt and secure temporary storage ol delivered goods, and a code system which governs unlocking of said container for the deposit of goods therein and for retrieval of goods therefrom, said code system including a confidential access code which is allocated for use with said container by a system controller that has control over the use of said container, the use of said access code facilitating unlocking of said container, said security delivery system including communication between said system controller and a goods delivery body'engaged to deliver purchasec goods to said security container for notifying said delivery body of said access code.

2. A security delivery system according to claim 1, said code system permitting allocation of said access code by said system controller.

3. A security delivery system according to claim 1, said access code being allocated for said system controller by a central body.

4. A security delivery system according to claim 2 or 3, said code system permitting said access code to be changed as necessary.

A security delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, said communication involving verbal telephonic transmission of said access code.

6. A security delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, said communication involving electronic transmission of said access code.

7. A security delivery system according to claim 6, said transmission being made via email.

8. A security delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said system controller is a goods purchaser. 1 11

9. A security delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, said communication including a two-stage process, whereby said access code is transmitted between said system controller and a goods vendor from which goods are purchased, and then between said goods vendor and said delivery body.

A security delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further including a receipt system which includes at least two receipt portions for exchange between said system controller and said delivery body, said portions comprising a "delivery acknowledgement" record and a "delivery made" record, said delivery acknowledgement record being deposited into said security container by said system controller in advance of a goods delivery, for collection by said delivery body, said delivery made record being deposited into 15 said security container by said delivery body upon deposit of goods within said container. a•

11. A security delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, said delivery body storing said access code in a transmitter that delivery personnel 20 of said delivery body take with goods being delivered, and whereby said security container includes a receiver, said delivery system being arranged such that said receiver recognises said access code transmitted by said transmitter and facilitates placing of said security container in said unlocked condition.

12. A security delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, said goods vendor being an on-line internet trader and said system controller purchasing goods on-line through said trader, and as part of that transaction, advising said trader of the address and access code of said security container, said trader advising said delivery body of the details said transaction including said address and said access code, said delivery body attending said address to deliver said purchased goods by utilising said access code to place said security container in said unlocked condition for deposit of said purchased 12 goods therein, after which said delivery body returns said security container to said locked condition, thereafter said system controller utilising said access code to place said security container in said unlocked condition to retrieve said purchased goods therefrom. W:\SHAROM~ndrewX PCTCOMP\606014compI.DOC DATED: 31 October 2000 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: JANDKAYPTYLTD 0@ 9:096 *0 0