US 12,269,387 B2
Delivery vehicle and facility loading and unloading shelf system
William Schwartz, Tucson, AZ (US); Amy Longshore, San Diego, CA (US); Erika Thoeny, Evanston, IL (US); Sierra Raney, Blacksburg, VA (US); Michael Nagy, Merrifield, VA (US); and Andrew Garcia, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to United States Postal Service, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by United States Postal Service, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/364,290.
Application 17/308,432 is a division of application No. 16/154,573, filed on Oct. 8, 2018, granted, now 11,027,640, issued on Jun. 8, 2021.
Application 18/364,290 is a continuation of application No. 17/308,432, filed on May 5, 2021, granted, now 11,794,623.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/570,437, filed on Oct. 10, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0373375 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 7/00 (2006.01); B60P 1/64 (2006.01); B60P 3/34 (2006.01); G06Q 10/04 (2023.01); G06Q 10/08 (2023.01); G06Q 10/083 (2023.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01); B60P 3/00 (2006.01); F21S 4/28 (2016.01); F21Y 115/10 (2016.01)
CPC B60P 1/6481 (2013.01) [B60P 1/6409 (2013.01); G06Q 10/04 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G06Q 10/083 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); B60P 3/007 (2013.01); F21S 4/28 (2016.01); F21Y 2115/10 (2016.08)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for delivering items comprising:
a plurality of items stored on a plurality of shelves, each of the plurality of shelves including an indicator, the indicator comprising a plurality of indicating components;
a mobile computing device comprising a geographic location system;
a memory storing a location of each of the plurality of items stored on the plurality of shelves; and
a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the geographic location of the mobile computing device;
determine whether the geographic location of the mobile computing device is within a defined distance of a delivery point to which one of the plurality of items is to be delivered;
if the geographic location of the mobile computing device within the defined distance to the delivery point, query the memory to determine the location of the one of the plurality of items on the plurality of shelves;
receive an indication that the one of the plurality of items was unable to be delivered;
associate the one of the plurality of items with a computer readable code on a missed delivery form and with the location of the one of the plurality of items on the plurality of shelves;
receive the computer readable code from the missed delivery form;
determine the location of the one of the plurality of items on the plurality of shelves based on the received computer readable code; and
actuate selected ones of the plurality of indicating components corresponding to the location of the one of the plurality of items.
 
8. A method for delivering items comprising:
storing a plurality of items on a plurality of shelves, each of the plurality of shelves including an indicator, the indicator comprising a plurality of indicating components;
determining, by a mobile computing device, a geographic location of the mobile computing device;
storing, in a memory, a location of each of the plurality of items stored on the plurality of shelves;
receiving, in a processor, the geographic location of the mobile computing device;
determining, in a processor, whether the geographic location of the mobile computing device is within a defined distance of a delivery point to which one of the plurality of items is to be delivered;
if the geographic location of the mobile computing device within the defined distance to the delivery point, querying the memory to determine the location of the one of the plurality of items on the plurality of shelves;
receiving an indication that the one of the plurality of items was unable to be delivered;
associating the one of the plurality of items with a computer readable code on a missed delivery form and with the location of the one of the plurality of items on the plurality of shelves;
receiving the computer readable code from the missed delivery form;
determining the location of the one of the plurality of items on the plurality of shelves based on the received computer readable code; and
actuating, by a processor, selected ones of the plurality of indicating components corresponding to the location of the item to be delivered to the delivery point.