Description:FIELD OF DISCLOSURE
[001] The present disclosure relates to delivery mechanisms, and specifically to an apparatus and a method for secure delivery of products or items from, for example, a warehouse to, for example, a delivery hub and further directly to a customer.

BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE
[002] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.
[003] According to a cargo theft prevention and recovery network, net losses from cargo theft have risen from 49 million dollars to 68 million dollars in past few years. An actual economic loss may be estimated to be up to ten times the cost of stolen goods. In such scenario, providers not only need to replace their stolen products, they also must repay shipping fees, customs fees, taxes, and more.
[004] Recently, 29% of cargo thefts took place while goods were at storage facilities or factories, an increase of 4% from the year before. Additionally, theft from containers increased by 3% and theft from employees increased a whole 7%. These trends reveal that both thieves and inside actors may take advantage of supply chain disruptions to steal goods while they are at rest.
[005] In few regions, storage-based cargo thefts account for approximately 50% of theft incidents. Globally, on average, 10% of stolen items are computers, televisions, and other like electronic devices.
[006] There may be different types of cargo theft, which are described as below:
• Pilferage, or the stealing of cargo with little value, is an age-old problem. The perpetrators are often petty thieves with inside connections,
• Straight cargo theft which involves stealing cargo physically from a location. But, while pilfering refers to stealing small amounts of inexpensive items, straight cargo theft involves stealing larger amounts of either valuable or invaluable goods. It occurs mainly at locations where cargo is at rest and unattended, such as at truck stops, drop lots, or warehouses,
• Strategic cargo theft which is constantly evolving and involves everything from fraud and identity theft to armed heists. One strategic tactic is fictitious pick-ups where thieves pose as or work with transportation providers to steal the cargo, and
• Technology-aided theft which is on the rise. Cyber-attacks and phishing schemes may give criminals access to sensitive delivery and transportation information.
[007] Conventionally, high value items or products may be picked from the warehouse (usually from high value items cage) and may be counted and sent for packing. Post counting and packing, the items undergo sortation processes of a supply chain and are sent to the end customer. Here, to make a system tamper evident, either a seal may be added to the system, for example, a delivery box or the box itself may be shrink wrapped. Some systems may use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags (one time use) or tamper evident labels which are costlier. These systems may increase an overall cost of shipment and may only be used to make a tamper evident system.
[008] There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide an improved apparatus and a method that enables safe and secure delivery of products by overcoming the deficiencies in the prior art(s).

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[009] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies are as listed herein below.
[0010] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus and a method that enables end-to-end safe and secure delivery of items or products.
[0011] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus and a method to securely transport products from a warehouse to an end customer with end-to-end tracking and monitoring for any kind of tampering.
[0012] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus and a method that transports multiple products at a same time.

SUMMARY
[0013] This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0014] In an aspect, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for secure delivery of one or more items. The apparatus includes a secure housing including a lid and one or more partitions to concurrently transport one or more items from a source location to a destination location. The apparatus includes one or more sensors affixed to the one or more partitions inside the secure housing to monitor a status of the one or more items during the transportation from the source location to the destination location. The apparatus includes a camera attached to the secure housing and operatively connected to the one or more sensors. The apparatus includes an electronic lock affixed on top of the lid of the secure housing to secure the one or more items in the one or more partitions.
[0015] In an embodiment, the one or more sensors may include at least one of a light sensor and a passive infrared (PIR) sensor.
[0016] In an embodiment, the one or more sensors may be activated in response to a tampering of the secure housing. The camera may be automatically triggered by the one or more sensors to capture one or more images corresponding to the tampering of the secure housing.
[0017] In an embodiment, the electronic lock may include an antenna to track a location of the apparatus during the transportation from the source location to the destination location.
[0018] In an embodiment, the electronic lock may be operated by a keypad. The electronic lock may be provided to unlock the secure housing in response to a unique password entered by a user on the keypad.
[0019] In an embodiment, each of the one or more partitions may include a load cell to determine a weight corresponding to each of the one or more items.
[0020] In an embodiment, each of the one or more partitions may include a respective electronic lock to secure each of the one or more items.
[0021] In an embodiment, each of the one or more partitions may include a respective light sensor for accurate pickup and drop of each of the one or more items.
[0022] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for secure delivery of one or more items. The method includes determining, by a processor associated with an apparatus, whether an item is delivered from a source location to a hub of a destination location. In response to a positive determination, the method includes receiving, by the processor, an input from a user to unlock an electronic lock of the apparatus to deliver the item, and in response to the input being accurate, transmitting, by the processor, a successful delivery notification for the item to the user, and in response to the input being inaccurate, transmitting, by the processor, an unsuccessful delivery notification for the item to the user. In response to a negative determination, the method includes generating, by the processor, one or more alerts indicative of a tampering of the apparatus during transportation of the apparatus from the source location to the hub of the destination location, and automatically executing, by the processor, one or more restrictive actions based on the one or more alerts.
[0023] In an embodiment, generating, by the processor, the one or more alerts may include receiving, by the processor, a trigger from at least one of a camera, one or more sensors, an antenna, a load cell, and the electronic lock associated with the apparatus. The trigger may be indicative of the tampering of the apparatus during the transportation.
[0024] In an embodiment, the one or more restrictive actions may include at least one of transmitting a failure notification to the user, and securing the electronic lock for the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that invention of such drawings includes the invention of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.
[0026] The diagrams are for illustration only, which thus is not a limitation of the present disclosure, and wherein:
[0027] FIG. 1A illustrates an example block diagram (100A) of an apparatus for secure delivery of one or more items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 1B illustrates an example isometric view (100B) of an apparatus for secure delivery of one or more items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 1C illustrates an example top view (100C) of an apparatus for secure delivery of one or more items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 1D illustrates an example schematic view (100D) of load cells present inside an apparatus, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIGs. 2A and 2B illustrate example flow charts (200A, 200B) for implementing a method for secure delivery of one or more items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0032] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.
[0034] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.
[0035] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
[0036] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
[0037] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.
[0038] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0039] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0040] The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method for secure delivery of one or more items. The apparatus may be, for example, but not limited to, a smart delivery box. The smart delivery box may delivery the items from a source location to a destination location in a safe and secure manner. Further, the apparatus may track and maintain records of the items delivered between the source location to the destination location. That is, the smart delivery box may securely transport the items from, for example, a warehouse to, for example, an end customer with end-to-end tracking and monitoring for any kind of tampering.
[0041] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to FIGs. 1-2.
[0042] FIGs. 1A-1D illustrate an example block diagram (100A), an example isometric view (100B), and an example top view (100C) of an apparatus (150) for secure delivery of one or more items, and an example schematic view (100D) of load cells present inside the apparatus (150), respectively, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0043] With reference to FIGs. 1A-1D, it may be appreciated that the apparatus (150) for secure delivery of one or more items may be interchangeably referred to as a smart delivery box throughout the disclosure.
[0044] In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may include a secure housing. The secure housing may include a lid (122) and one or more partitions (124). In some embodiments, the one or more partitions (124) may be provided to accommodate one or more items. In some embodiments, the one or more partitions (124) may be provided to concurrently transport the one or more items from a source location to a destination location.
[0045] In some embodiments, each of the one or more partitions (124) may include load cell(s) (118). The load cell(s) (118) may be provided to determine a weight corresponding to each of the one or more items. In some embodiments, the load cell(s) (118) may be used to confirm that the one or more items are present inside the apparatus (150).
[0046] In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may include one or more sensors (102a, 102b). In some embodiments, the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) may be affixed to the lid (122) of the secure housing. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) may be affixed to the one or more partitions (124) inside the secure housing. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be, for example, but not limited to, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor (102b) and a light sensor (102a). In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be, for example, but not limited to, a temperature sensor which may be used for delivery of medicines. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be, for example, but not limited to, a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor (116) to track a location of the apparatus (150).
[0047] In some embodiments, the PIR sensor (102b) may detect infrared that is radiated from the one or more items that emit heat to monitor a status of the one or more items. In some embodiments, the light sensor (102a) may be used for detecting light inside the apparatus (150) while the apparatus (150) is in a lock position. In some embodiments, the light sensor (102a) may be a type of photodetector (also called as photosensors) that detect light. In some embodiments, different types of light sensors (102a) may be used to measure illuminance, respond to changes in the amount of light received, or convert the light to electricity. In some embodiments, each of the one or more partitions (124) may include a respective light sensor for accurate pick up and drop of each of the one or more items.
[0048] In some embodiments, the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) may be provided to monitor the status of the one or more items during the transportation from the source location to the destination location. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) may be activated in response to a tampering of the secure housing.
[0049] In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may include a camera (104). In some embodiments, the camera (104) may be attached to the lid (122) of the secure housing. In some embodiments, the camera (104) may be operatively connected to the one or more sensors (102a, 102b). In some embodiments, the camera (104) may be automatically triggered by the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) to capture one or more images corresponding to the tampering of the secure housing.
[0050] In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may include an electronic lock (106). In some embodiments, the electronic lock (106) may be affixed on top of the lid (122) of the secure housing to secure the one or more items in the one or more partitions (124).
[0051] In some embodiments, the electronic lock (106) may include an antenna (126), for example, but not limited to, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) antenna. The antenna (126) may be provided to track a location of the apparatus (150) during the transportation from the source location to the destination location. In some embodiments, the antenna (126) may be used for end-to-end tracking of the apparatus (150) and ensuring that the apparatus (150) is being transported in a correct path. In some embodiments, the antenna (126) may be used to detect an ideal time of transportation and productivity of a delivery agent either of a cargo truck driver or of a door delivery agent.
[0052] In some embodiments, the electronic lock (106) may be operated by a keypad (112). In some embodiments, the electronic lock (106) may be provided to unlock the secure housing in response to a unique password entered by a user on the keypad (112). It may be appreciated that the user may be an end customer or the delivery agent. In some embodiments, the one or more partitions (124) may include different keypads (112) to operate the electronic lock (106).
[0053] In some embodiments, each of the one or more partitions (124) may include a respective electronic lock (106) to secure each of the one or more items. In some embodiments, each of the one or more partitions (124) may include a respective light sensor (102a) to monitor the status of the one or more items.
[0054] In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may include a controller (120). The controller (120) may be, for example, but not limited to, ESP8266. The controller (120) may be operatively connected with the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) and the camera (104). The electronic lock (106) may be operatively connected with the controller (120) via a relay (108).
[0055] In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may be provided to deliver the one or more items to at least one end customer in the lock position, i.e., when the apparatus (150) is in a closed state. In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may be provided to deliver the one or more items to the at least one end customer in an unlock position. That is, the apparatus (150) may be provided to deliver the one or more items even when the apparatus (150) is in an open state. During unlock position delivery, a need for a packing material may be avoided, thereby saving delivery costs. In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may be provided to pick up the one or more delivered items from the at least one end customer based on one or more parameters. The one or more parameters may include, but not limited to, the one or more delivered items being damaged, the one or more delivered items having missing parts or accessories, the one or more delivered items being different from one or more ordered items, the one or more delivered items not meeting the at least one end customer’s satisfaction, and the like. In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may be used to pick return items from the customers ensuring that the return items are picked at a correct time and may be used later as a proof.
[0056] In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may include a power source (110), for example, a lithium ion 3v battery that is operable for around 2 days. The power source (110) may be operatively connected with the controller (120). In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may be equipped with extra batteries which may be plugged by an operator in case of low battery.
[0057] FIGs. 2A and 2B illustrate example flow charts (200A, 200B) for implementing a method for secure delivery of one or more items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0058] While pickup of any high value item from a source location, i.e., a warehouse, a camera (104) or a vision system on an apparatus (150) may be used to scan a product Unique Identifier (ID) and capture images at pickup. Once all the items are picked, the apparatus (150) may be locked and the apparatus (150) may be directly transported to an end customer. Since the pickup of the items are based on a delivery logic in the proposed method, sortation processes may be avoided.
[0059] Once the apparatus (150) carrying multiple or single item(s) is packed and loaded in a truck, location may be tracked of each and every item during the journey. Further, any attempt of tempering during the journey may also be tracked and notified to the end customer in real-time. The camera (104) may be used to capture images and the GPRS antenna (126) may help in tracking location of the apparatus (150).
[0060] For example, assuming that a customer has ordered, for example, a mobile phone. Once the mobile phone is picked up from the warehouse, the mobile phone is kept in the apparatus (150) with for example, 3*3 or 4*3 compartments. In some embodiments, the apparatus (150) may be formed with different dimensions for delivery of different items, for example, jewellery.
[0061] While keeping the mobile phone in the apparatus (150), a unique ID of shipment may be scanned in a barcode. As soon as the barcode reads data, the camera (104) may be triggered to take a picture of a picker with a parcel. This may act as a confirmation for both a seller and a buyer that the correct item was picked up. Further, the location of the apparatus (150) during transportation from the source location to the destination location may be tracked. Once all the items are picked, the apparatus (150) may be locked. The apparatus (150) may be opened only with a One-Time Password (OTP) which may be system-generated and may be sent to only end customers.
[0062] During the journey of the apparatus (150) from the source location to the destination location, i.e., the customer location, assume the following scenarios:
• Someone tries to open the apparatus (150) with force - Opening the apparatus (150) without OTP generates alerts. Further, when the apparatus (150) is opened, the PIR sensor (102b) and the light sensor (102a) may be triggered which further triggers the camera (104) to continuously click pictures.
• Someone tries to open the apparatus (150) in dark – In case, someone understands that the light sensor (120a) is used in the apparatus (150) and they try to open the apparatus (150) in dark, the PIR sensor (102b) may be triggered, as the PIR sensor (102b) detects any kind of infrared which is emitted from any heat generating object. Further, if someone tries to open the apparatus (150) without the OTP, an electric lock (106) may not be triggered.
[0063] With reference to FIGs. 2A and 2B, at 202, the one or more items may be picked and sorted to one or more apparatuses (150) in the warehouse, i.e., the source location. Sortation of the one or more items may be performed on the basis of local Certificates of Conformity (COC) destinations for every delivery hub (DH), i.e., the destination location.
[0064] At 204, the one or more items may be dispatched to the destination location after for example, X-Ray scanning, to reconfirm quantity and model of the one or more items. Usually, the one or more items are again sorted by the delivery agents based on the delivery locations, which may also be eliminated by way of the proposed method. Therefore, there is no need for opening the one or more apparatuses (150) during transportation from the source location to the delivery locations.
[0065] At 206, the method may include determining whether the one or more items are delivered or not. In some embodiments, the method may include receiving an input from an end customer to unlock an electronic lock (106) of the one or more apparatus (150) to deliver the one or more items. In response to the input being accurate, the method may include transmitting a successful delivery notification for the one or more items to the end customer. In response to the input being inaccurate, the method may include transmitting an unsuccessful delivery notification for the one or more items to the end customer.
[0066] At 208, if the one or more items are not delivered, alerts may be generated and the end customer or the seller may be notified via the alerts. The alerts may be indicative of a tampering of the one or more apparatuses (150) during transportation of the one or more apparatuses (150) from the source location to the destination location. The alerts may be generated by receiving a trigger from at least one of a camera (104), one or more sensors (102a, 102b), an antenna (126), a load cell (118), and the electronic lock (106) associated with the one or more apparatuses (150). The trigger may be indicative of the tampering of the one or more apparatuses (150) during the transportation. The method may include determining whether the alerts display that the one or more apparatuses (150) are opened without a passkey.
[0067] At 210, if the alerts display that the one or more apparatuses (150) are opened without the passkey, the method may collect logs in which a driver is accountable. The method may automatically execute one or more restrictive actions based on the alerts. The one or more restrictive actions may include, but not limited to, transmitting a failure notification to the customer and securing the electronic lock (106) for the apparatus (150).
[0068] At 212, if the alerts display that the one or more apparatuses (150) are opened with the passkey, the method may include determining whether the alerts display that a wrong route is taken during transportation.
[0069] At 214, if the alerts display that the wrong route is taken during transportation, the method may collect the logs in which the driver is accountable.
[0070] At 216, if the alerts display that a right route is taken during transportation, the method may check the logs to trace the whole journey from the source location to the delivery locations.
[0071] At 218, if the one or more items is delivered, as determined at 206, the driver may successfully deliver a consignment to the delivery location.
[0072] At 220, the one or more apparatuses (150) may be directly allotted to each delivery agent. In some embodiments, one apparatus (150) may contain 1-12 items to be delivered. It may be appreciated that the apparatus (150) and the number of partitions in the apparatus (150) may be configurable to keep any number of items within the scope of the current disclosure.
[0073] At 222, once the delivery agent reaches the delivery location, the one or more apparatuses (150) may be opened using the passkey.
[0074] At 224, the method may check whether the passkey is correct or incorrect.
[0075] At 226, if the passkey is incorrect, a pre-determined number of attempts (for example, 3 attempts) may be provided to the end customer to open the one or more apparatuses (150). If it is unsuccessful, the delivery of the one or more items may be cancelled. At 228, the delivery agent may proceed with the next delivery.
[0076] At 230, if the passkey is correct, the one or more apparatuses (150) may be opened. The one or more partitions (124) with the one or more items corresponding to the particular customer may lighten up to indicate that the one or more items corresponding to the particular customer are to be delivered.
[0077] At 232, once the one or more items corresponding to the particular customer are picked, the delivery agent may scan the one or more items corresponding to the particular customer in a barcode scanner on the one or more apparatuses (150) to reconfirm the respective item. If there is an error during the barcode scanning, the delivery of the one or more items may be cancelled, and the delivery agent may proceed with the next delivery.
[0078] At 234, if the barcode scanning is performed successfully, the one or more items corresponding to the particular customer may be delivered to that particular customer.
[0079] At 236, upon delivering the one or more items, the method may include determining whether there are any fraud complaints by the customer.
[0080] At 238, if there are no fraud complaints by the customer, positive feedback may be received by the customer for quick delivery.
[0081] At 240, if there are any fraud complaints by the customer, the method may check the logs to trace the whole journey from the source location to the delivery locations along with the images captured.
[0082] At 242, the accountable person may be changed based on the determination of the logs. It may be appreciated that any suitable action may be taken in view of the same, within the scope of the current disclosure.
[0083] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0084] The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method that enables end-to-end safe and secure delivery of items or products.
[0085] The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method to securely transport products from a warehouse to an end customer with end-to-end live tracking and monitoring for any kind of tampering.
[0086] The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method that transports multiple products at a same time.
[0087] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that is reusable and cost-effective.
[0088] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that includes a keypad to ensure that items are received by a right customer.
[0089] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that uses captured images, Global Positioning System (GPS) data, and sensor output as evidence during any tampering or fraudulent acts.
[0090] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that delivers one or more items in a lock position and an unlock position.
, Claims:1. An apparatus (150) for secure delivery of one or more items, comprising:
a secure housing comprising a lid (122) and one or more partitions (124) to concurrently transport one or more items from a source location to a destination location;
one or more sensors (102a, 102b) affixed to the one or more partitions (124) inside the secure housing to monitor a status of the one or more items during the transportation from the source location to the destination location;
a camera (104) attached to the secure housing and operatively connected to the one or more sensors (102a, 102b); and
an electronic lock (106) affixed on top of the lid (122) of the secure housing to secure the one or more items in the one or more partitions (124).

2. The apparatus (150) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) comprise at least one of: a light sensor (102a) and a passive infrared (PIR) sensor (102b).

3. The apparatus (150) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) are activated in response to a tampering of the secure housing, and wherein the camera (104) is automatically triggered by the one or more sensors (102a, 102b) to capture one or more images corresponding to the tampering of the secure housing.

4. The apparatus (150) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic lock (106) comprises an antenna (126) to track a location of the apparatus (150) during the transportation from the source location to the destination location.

5. The apparatus (150) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic lock (106) is operated by a keypad (112), and wherein the electronic lock (106) is to unlock the secure housing in response to a unique password entered by a user on the keypad (112).

6. The apparatus (150) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more partitions (124) comprises a load cell (118) to determine a weight corresponding to each of the one or more items.

7. The apparatus (150) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more partitions (124) comprises a respective electronic lock (106) to secure each of the one or more items.

8. The apparatus (150) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more partitions (124) comprises a respective light sensor for accurate pickup and drop of each of the one or more items.

9. A computer-implemented method for secure delivery of one or more items, comprising:
determining, by a processor associated with an apparatus (150), whether an item is delivered from a source location to a hub of a destination location;
in response to a positive determination:
receiving, by the processor, an input from a user to unlock an electronic lock (106) of the apparatus (150) to deliver the item; and
in response to the input being accurate, transmitting, by the processor, a successful delivery notification for the item to the user, and in response to the input being inaccurate, transmitting, by the processor, an unsuccessful delivery notification for the item to the user; and
in response to a negative determination:
generating, by the processor, one or more alerts indicative of a tampering of the apparatus (150) during transportation of the apparatus (150) from the source location to the hub of the destination location; and
automatically executing, by the processor, one or more restrictive actions based on the one or more alerts.

10. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 9, wherein generating, by the processor, the one or more alerts comprises:
receiving, by the processor, a trigger from at least one of: a camera (104), one or more sensors (102a, 102b), an antenna (126), a load cell (118), and the electronic lock (106) associated with the apparatus (150), the trigger being indicative of the tampering of the apparatus (150) during the transportation.

11. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the one or more restrictive actions comprise at least one of: transmitting a failure notification to the user, and securing the electronic lock (106) for the apparatus (150).