Automatic package delivery and retrieval system

摘要

Described herein are an automatic package delivery and retrieval apparatus, system and method. The automatic package delivery and retrieval includes a Package Delivery Kiosk (PDK), associated front end and back end package delivery management systems, portals for the consumer and the retailer, portals for the common carrier, sender, and recipient, a package inventory management system, integrated retailer access, a real and automated retailer bidding system and a kiosk for distribution. In one embodiment, a system for automated package retrieval and delivery includes a kiosk, package retrieval apparatus, and various computing systems for running the systems. A method for providing packages to customers includes providing a notification with a code to a user that a package is available for retrieval. The method includes storing a package in the kiosk. The method further includes receiving the code from a user at the kiosk and retrieving the package with the automatic retrieval mechanism.

主权项

1. A method for providing packages to customers, comprising:
providing a notification to a user that a package is available for retrieval, the notification including a code; storing a package at a user specified kiosk in one of a plurality of reconfigurable package slots, the user specified kiosk including an automatic retrieval mechanism; receiving the code from a user at the user specified kiosk; retrieving the package for the user with the automatic retrieval mechanism; reconfiguring the plurality of package slots; and aligning the automatic retrieval mechanism to the reconfigured plurality of package slots, wherein when the package is stored in the user specified kiosk for greater than a set period of time is considered dead and the automatic retrieval mechanism retrieves the package and places the package in a predetermined location reserved for dead packages for retrieval and removal.