Systems and methods to distribute and authenticate product delivery lockers

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to support the delivery of products. Some embodiments provide a retail delivery locker system comprising: multiple delivery lockers comprising: a housing enclosing an interior product cavity; a door enabling access to the product cavity; first and second docking couplers each configured to securely dock with a docking station and a docking coupler of another locker; and a communication link between the first and second docking couplers; and multiple docking stations each comprising: a locker coupler configured to secure a locker with the docking station; a station control circuit that obtains a first locker identifier from a first locker, confirms the first locker is scheduled to dock with a docking station, and authorize the locking of the docking station with the first docking coupler; and a transceiver enabling the station control circuit to communicate with a remote central control system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A retail delivery locker system, comprising:
 multiple delivery lockers each comprising:
 a product cavity; 
 a first docking coupler and a second docking coupler, wherein each of the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler are configured to securely dock at a given time with any one of a docking station of any of the multiple docking stations and a docking coupler of another of the multiple delivery lockers; and 
 a communication link between the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler; and 
   multiple docking stations each positioned at different delivery locations, wherein each of the multiple docking stations comprises:
 a locker coupler configured to dock with one of the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler of any of the multiple delivery lockers; 
 a station control circuit and memory accessible by the station control circuit and storing instructions executed by the station control circuit, wherein a first station control circuit of a first docking station, when executing the instructions, causes a locking of the locking coupler of the first docking station with the first docking coupler of a first locker. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first station control circuit is further configured to causing the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with one of the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler of a second locker. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first docking station further comprises an electrical power coupler, and the first locker comprises an electrical power conductor extending between the first coupler and the second coupler, wherein the electrical power coupler is configured to electrically couple with the first docking coupler of the first locker to supply electrical power to the first locker and the second locker. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first station control circuit is further configured to monitor electrical power usage by the first locker and monitor electrical power usage by the second locker independent of the electrical power usage of the first locker. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first docking station further comprises a network coupler configured to communicatively couple with an external distributed communication network, and a communication coupler; and
 wherein the first locker comprises a communication connection between the first coupler and the second coupler, wherein the communication coupler is configured to communicatively couple with the first docking coupler of the first locker to establish a communication path between the external distributed communication network and both of the first locker and the second locker.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first locker comprises a first locker control circuit configured to control an interior temperature of the product cavity of the first locker; and
 wherein the second locker comprises a second locker control circuit configured to control an interior temperature of the product cavity of the second locker independent of the temperature of the product cavity of the first locker.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first docking station further comprises a station communication coupler;
 wherein the first docking coupler of the first locker comprises a first locker communication interface configured to communicatively couple with any one of the station communication coupler and a locker communication interface of another one of the multiple delivery lockers;   the second docking coupler of the first locker comprises a second communication interface configured to communicatively couple with any one of the station communication coupler and a locker communication interface of another one of the multiple delivery lockers; and   the first locker further comprises a communication connection between the first locker communication interface and the second locker communication interface of the first locker establishing: a communication path between the first locker and a second locker when the second locker is communicatively coupled with one of the first and second communication interfaces of the first locker, and a communication path between the first docking station and the second locker when the second locker is communicatively coupled with one of the first communication interface and the second communication interface of the first locker.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first locker comprises a first locker control circuit configured to obtain a second locker identifier from the second locker of the multiple delivery lockers and communicate the identifier of the second locker to the station control circuit that is further configured to confirm the second locker is scheduled to dock with the first docking station, and authorize the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with the first docking coupler of the second locker when the second locker is confirmed to dock with the first docking station. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first station control circuit is further configured to identify that an unmanned delivery vehicle transporting the first locker is within a threshold distance of the first docking station, and authenticates the unmanned delivery vehicle prior to authorizing the first locker to dock with the first docking station. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler of each of the multiple delivery lockers is configured to couple with any one of the first docking coupler or the second docking coupler of any of the other of the multiple delivery lockers providing a daisy chain coupling of a set of two or more of the multiple delivery lockers coopered with the first docking station of the multiple docking stations through the daisy chain coupling. 
     
     
         11 . A method of docking retail delivery lockers, comprising:
 detecting, by a first station control circuit of a first docking station of multiple docking stations at different delivery locations, a first locker of multiple delivery lockers, wherein each delivery locker of the multiple delivery lockers comprises a product cavity, a first docking coupler and a second docking coupler each configured to securely dock and lock at a given time with any one of a locker coupler of any of the multiple docking stations and a docking coupler of another of the multiple lockers, and a communication link between the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler; and   causing a locking of a locker coupler of the first docking station with one of the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler of the first locker.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 causing the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with one of the first docking coupler and the second docking coupler of a second locker.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 supplying electrical power from the first docking station to the first locker through an electrical power coupler of the first docking station electrically coupled with the first docking coupler of the first locker, and to the second locker through an electrical power conductor extending between the first coupler and the second coupler of the first locker.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 monitoring power usage by the first locker; and   monitoring power usage by the second locker independent of the power usage of the first locker.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 establishing a communication path between an external distributed communication network with which the first docking station is communicatively coupled and both the first locker and the second locker.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 controlling, through a first locker control circuit of the first locker, an interior temperature of the product cavity of the first locker; and   controlling, through a second locker control circuit of the second locker, an interior temperature of the product cavity of the second locker independent of the temperature of the product cavity of the first locker.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 establishing a communication coupling through a communication coupler of the first docking station with a first locker communication interface of the first docking coupler of the first locker;   establishing a communication coupling through a second locker communication interface of the second docking coupler of the first locker with a first locker communication interface of the first docking coupler of the second locker; and   causing communications from the first station control circuit to the second locker over a communication connection between the first locker communication interface of the first docking coupler of the first locker and the second locker communication interface of the second docking coupler of the first locker.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 by a first locker control circuit of the first locker:
 obtaining a second locker identifier from a second locker of the multiple delivery lockers; 
 communicate the identifier of the second locker to the station control circuit; and 
   by the first station control circuit:
 confirming the second locker is scheduled to dock with the first docking station; and 
 authorizing the locking of the second docking coupler of the first locker with the first docking coupler of the second locker when the second locker is confirmed to dock with the first docking station. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying that an unmanned delivery vehicle transporting the first locker is within a threshold distance of the first docking station, and   authenticating the unmanned delivery vehicle prior to authorizing the first locker to dock with the first docking station.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 daisy chain coupling a set of two or more of the multiple delivery lockers, including the first delivery locker, with each other to lock the daisy chain coupled set of two or more of the multiple delivery lockers with the first docking station.