Abstract
A user places an order for delivery in a building that uses a telephone-based call box
system installed at the common door or gate to the building. When the order is placed, the user selects an option to authorize automatic delivery of the package and grants an ecommerce application authorization to temporarily intercept phone calls from the user’s building call box system. The user computing device application communicates the authorization to the account management computing system, which stores the user’s authorization and manages the delivery process. Upon receipt of a delivery update, an application on a delivery computing device transmits a notification to the account management computing system indicating the package is ready for delivery. The account management computing system transmits an intercept notice to the user computing device signaling the application on the user computing device to intercept all calls from the selected phone number for the specified duration of time, and a single-use audio request tone to the application on the user computing device.
The application on the delivery computing device displays a set of delivery instructions for the delivery person to follow to initiate the call box call, hold the delivery computing device up to the call box, and wait. The application on the user computing device intercepts the call made from the call box, resulting in a connection between the application on the user computing device and the application on the delivery computing device, using the existing call box calling system. Once connected, the user computing device transmits a notification of the intercepted call to the account management computing system. The account management computing system transmits instructions to the delivery computing device to play the single-use audio request tone. The application on the delivery computing device plays the single-use audio request tone and the application on the user computing device compares the played audio request tone to the audio request tone saved in the application cache. If the tones match, the request for entry is granted. The application on the user computing device plays a building authorization tone. The call box receives the authorization tone played by the application on the user computing device to the delivery computing device over the existing call box calling system. If the tone is valid, the call box authorizes entry into the building by unlocking the door or opening the gate.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Price, Thomas and Agrawal, Anurag, "Securing Automatic Package Delivery Through Building Call Box System", Technical Disclosure Commons, (December 20, 2016)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/358