United States Postal Service

Ryan Murray Luckay

Robert E Dixon, Jr

Robert E Dixon

Gregory Cooil

James Edward Lee, Sr

Daniel Mark Bentley

Carrie Ann Bornitz

S M Elias Farhad

Jim E Lee

Autonomous delivery drop points for delivery of an item are provided. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a proxy sensor to communicate information related to the autonomous delivery drop point to an autonomous delivery vehicle. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a delivery inlet configured to accept the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a storage receptacle configured to store the item until the item is retrieved by the owner of the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include an attachment member coupled to the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a hook configured to couple to the attachment member to accept the item, wherein the hook comprises the proxy sensor.

Delivery drop points for autonomous delivery vehicles

Systems and methods of tracking distribution items using hardware components on or in the distribution items. Shippers and recipients of distribution items can track or locate a distribution item, especially a high value item, if the distribution item is lost, misrouted, or delayed. Distribution items can be tracked until an indication of delivery, such as at a delivery location.

Beacon enabled distribution items

A device, system, and method for maintaining temperature control of a distribution item, or of the contents of a distribution item, as the distribution item moves through the distribution network. A container housing an item can include a cooling unit, a heating unit, or both, and control circuitry including a temperature sensor. The control circuitry activates the cooling unit or heating unit as required to maintain the item at a desired temperature or within a desired temperature range.

Systems and methods for maintaining temperature control of items in a distribution network

A system for loading and unloading containers of items from transport vehicles and moving containers of items to and from desired locations using automated robots are disclosed. The system includes one or more automated robots, a base station, and one or more vehicle-based systems. The automated robots are configured to move to, lift, and carry containers of items. The base station is configured to coordinate the movements of the automated robots. The vehicle-based systems are associated with transport vehicles and configured to communicate information about containers on the transport vehicles to the base station or automated robots. The vehicle-based systems may call the one or more automated robots to automatically load or unload the transport vehicles.

Automated systems and devices for loading and unloading

Systems and methods of creating, managing, and distributing supplemental content associated with items in a distribution network. A physical delivery item can be imaged and associated with additional content generated or associated with the sender of the physical delivery item.

System and method of providing informed delivery items using a hybrid-digital mailbox

A method and system of providing material based on a user-initiated request utilizing an electronic database includes receiving search keywords to conduct a search and accessing a first database having previously stored contact information for the particular user in an initial table record. The method includes transforming data in the fields of the record for the particular user in the initial table to generate a record in a sanitized table, accessing a second electronic database having previously stored data structures corresponding to businesses, where each data structure maps selected keyword combinations to corresponding icons, and to particular material corresponding to each keyword combination, and displaying icons associated with search results having corresponding selected keywords near associated result items on an electronic display. The method includes initiating sending of particular material corresponding to the request based on the selected icon and contact data for the user obtained from the sanitized table.

System and method using a database for enhanced user initiated requests of material or information

Methods and systems for autonomous item delivery and/or pick up are provided. IN some aspects, a mothership travels along an item route. One or more autonomous delivery vehicles may be dispatched from the mothership as the mothership progresses along the route. Each of the autonomous delivery vehicles may deliver and/or pick-up one or more items at one or more item locations. In addition, as the mothership progresses along its route, it may also stop to facilitate the manual delivery and/or pick-up of additional items via a human operator. Upon completing their delivery and/or pick up tasks, the autonomous delivery vehicles return to the mothership, either at the point at which they dispatched from the mothership, or at a different location along the item delivery route.

Systems for autonomous item delivery

A receptacle for detecting delivery and retrieval events has a door sensor, an item sensor, a scanner, and a control unit for operating the sensors, and transmitting the sensor information for processing and analysis. A system can determine whether an event was a delivery or retrieval event based on sensor information and item tracking information. A system can further include an item configured to interact with a computing device.

Receptacle for detecting delivery and retrieval events

Systems and methods of tracking distribution items using hardware components on or in the distribution items. Shippers and recipients of distribution items can track or locate a distribution item, especially a high value item, if the distribution item is lost, misrouted, or delayed.

Methods and systems for attaching and detaching an item satchel from an autonomous delivery unit. An attachment system includes an attachment system frame, and a satchel comprising a plurality of external pins. The attachment system also includes a plurality of hooks, mechanically attached to the frame, each hook including a first engagement surface and a second engagement surface, one or more electric actuators, mechanically attached to the frame, and mechanically connected to the plurality of hooks. Each of the first engagement surfaces engage a corresponding pin of the plurality of external pins at a first position between the horizontal and vertical positions, and each of the second engagement surfaces engage the corresponding pin of the plurality of external pins at the vertical position to secure an item satchel to an autonomous delivery unit.

Growing community of inventors

Vienna, VA, United States of America

Ryan Murray Luckay