TotalVault™

 

 

With the boom in e-commerce, whether for the purchase of special gifts or just day-to-day items, there are unfortunately equally booming incidences of thefts.  Instead of dealing with store security staff, sophisticated retail surveillance and a court summons, thieves now only have to monitor someone’s house for packages or follow a delivery vehicle and take the package when it is delivered. TotalVault™ solves this problem on several levels for those involved in the processes of getting goods safely delivered to consumers while protecting all of the parties involved in the vendor-to-consumer last mile of delivery chain.

 

 

In 2024 an estimated 1 in 4 Americans were victims of porch pirates. (security.org) While delivery companies have increased their own proof of delivery efforts, incidences of Delivery Personnel Piracy are also on the rise.  And what about the warehouse employee who is tasked with packing your order and decides to help themselves to one or more of the items they are supposed to be boxing up to send to you.  Or the delivery recipient who receives their shipment but decides they don’t what to pay for it and so claims it was never received demanding a refund or another item be shipped? With companies doing whatever is necessary to please and retain customers, the losses are reaching epic levels. All in all, this product theft and slippage costs consumers, vendors and delivery enterprises billions annually.

In 2023 package thefts totaled an estimated 119 million – 1 out of every 180 packages delivered – were reported missing, an estimated loss of $13.4 billion (capitaloneshopping.com) with an additional $1.09 billion lost in shipping costs.  The estimated financial losses from package thefts grew 5% from 2022 – 2023.  A recent SafeWise study revealed in 2024 the number of reported missing packages rose to 120.5 million at an estimated cost of $16 billion, (benzinga.com 12/9/24) from refunds to reshipping of the reported missing packages, the losses just keep rising.

The TotalVault™ is the next step in smart and secure systems for the safe receipt of deliveries, and retrieval of returns, with proof of delivery provided for the merchant, delivery company, and the recipient.

 

PRODUCT FEATURES & BENEFITS

Special features

  • Secured receptacle via electronic locks, codes via app, key pad PIN, bio-coding, or a simple lock and key,
  • Internal scale ensures the delivery’s ship-weight received matches the weight at the time the package left the warehouse or DC,
  • Cameras – both internal and external record the delivery and receipt by the owner,
  • Syncing of data and communications between the receptacle, the merchant, the delivery company and the recipient via images and text or email notifications,
  • The exterior of the container easily lends itself to printing, wrapping, and other forms of branding, messaging and the use of logos.
  • While initially designed to take advantage of highly recognizable and secure containers known by all, this container-locker can take any form or shape desired to aesthetically enhance the presentation,
  • Container size and overall market scalability for both a large container-locker and smaller versions for B2B and B2C channels and markets,
  • Internal climate control to protect deliveries from weather – or just to keep dinner delivery appropriately warm or cooled in inclement weather,
  • May use UPC scanner and/or RFID technology to confirm delivery and official receipt of a parcel by the consumer,
  • Internal secondary secure entry box for high value items, legal papers, and medications,
  • Security notification in the event of an attempt to open the receptacle or remove it from its location without permission,
  • External security alarms both audio and visual,
  • Power supply options via plug-in, hard wiring, rechargeable batteries, or solar panel for charging on-board batteries,
  • Configurable for manual delivery or via aerial or land-based drones,
  • Can be fixed to a single location (geotagged) or mobile, allowing the owner to place the receptacle out when expecting delivery or put away when not needed
  • May include a remote self-driving feature via an app command, allowing the receptacle to move itself to another location upon receipt of delivery while awaiting owner retrieval
  • May include a UV sterilization system to prevent transmission of contagions (like Covid) and/or to clean and prevent spoilage
  • May be used individually or in a group secure DronePort™
  • Depending on the types of substrates (plastics) used to mold the container, many formulas can cause the container to glow-in-the-dark with plastic molding additives,

 

PRODUCT DETAILS

Secure delivery and loss prevention is not just a concern for merchants and delivery companies, consumers share these concerns and are seeking the means to stop losses from pirates who steal from the companies they work for as well as us as consumers.  The increasing prevalence of home security cameras and doorbell cams are providing proof that we need a safer and more secure means to receive merchandise we have ordered for delivery.  The TotalVault™ is the answer.  A camera-enabled doorbell only permits you to watch the pirate stealing from you; the TotalVault™ actually prohibits the thief from getting his grubby hands on the parcel.  Using today’s technology and adaptability for multiple configurations and future communications and other technological advances, the TotalVault™ will revolutionize how we securely receive what we have paid for and the sender of the parcel can establish confidently (geotag, photograph and/or RFID confirm) the delivery and verifiably confirm to all that it was actually delivered by passing this data along to all of those involved in the delivery chain of any given parcel.

The TotalVault™ consists of a receptacle whose design, size and shape is flexibly adaptable to the consumer’s (or deliverer’s) needs but is initially designed of a shape and mobility and consumer recognized utility similar to the 65-95 gallon trash receptacles commonly used in locales worldwide and especially throughout the U.S.  The TotalVault™ is separated into 3 main chambers – a large parcel reception (upper) chamber of a size to hold packages, a middle chamber to allow for a spring or scale-deck supported base and scale component, and a lower chamber to hold electronic equipment, power sources, and motors, etc.  Additional secure chambers within the main delivery chamber referred to as the Rx Pocket™ may be included for receipt of high value items, legal papers, or medications from pharmacies concerned with RFID or other confirmation of delivery.  The TotalVault™ may also be equipped with internal temperature/climate control and Ultraviolet (UV) sterilization sanitizing functions.

 

Some of the reasons the technology’s inventors initial concept utilized existing roll-out trash receptacle advancements was the average consumers understanding of the container type in addition to its serious weather-proofing design and immense durability.  With a mag-locked lid or other manual locking mechanism, even the Hulk himself would find it impossible to gain entry to the internal cavity.  If you don’t believe us, go out to your garage this evening and try to cut a hole in your family roll-out trash can; its super durable tough construction will make it exceedingly difficult and a lengthy endeavor.

A mechanized lid provides a spacious opening for accepting packages delivered manually or via drone.  The delivery person or drone provides a secure PIN # or other RF signal to open the lid and, after depositing the package, securely reclosing and locking the lid which can be opened by the parcel-recipient with the owner/user’s personal programmed unlocking code.  The lid may be configured to lift as with a standard trash receptacle or roll back lid, and may be equipped with a mounted solar panel to recharge on-board batteries, the invention’s power to low-voltage electrical components and systems.

A control panel on the face of the TotalVault™ allows access to the on-board computer systems, scanning, and information entry systems.  Imagine a typical smartphone mounted on its side.  And, like a conventional smartphone’s digital capabilities… telephony and online communications, data processing, photography, etc. are all on-board through this central brain (for lack of a better term).  Additional features may include a scanner or scanning wand, antenna for Wi-Fi or cellular transmission and reception, USB port, or external keypad. With the increase in Smart technology the product can easily be integrated with home and business security systems.

Internal scanners, cameras, and RFID panels allow for package viewing, scanning of UPC codes, and detection of electronic tags.  Cameras, internal and external, also provide visual record of who delivered and retrieved the package.  Internal and external lighting provide another level of security and convenience.  Internal speakers would allow for broadcasting of information, music, or security alarms.  The spring based bottom of the main chamber allows for weighing of the package to compare to merchant parcel weight records at the time the package left their warehouse and its deposit into the TotalVault™, thus confirming no items have been pilfered.

 

The lowest chamber would be used for electronics, batteries, and motors.  An optional motor would allow the product to drive itself to a preferred secure location after receipt of delivery, per the owners command via an app.  Wheels fixed to the bottom of the product would allow for easy movement manually or remotely primarily on flat concrete surfaces like a driveway or sidewalk.

 

The product can be configured for use in a DronePort Terminal™ facility (also a part of our patents).  Multiple units may be grouped together and bolted or otherwise secured in place within a secured space such as a parking lot, apartment complex roof, or other outdoor area.  The following graphic shows an 82 unit fenced, gated and secured DronePort™ design for an +/- 80-unit residential setting (an apartment complex, a condo complex, a residential/home subdivision, etc).  The area needed to construct this facility is tiny; approximately the size of ½ of a conventional tennis court.  In HOA developments that  may not want receptacles sprinkled in front, side or backyards of every home for daily Amazon, Kroger, and Walgreens deliveries, the TotalVault™ can be centrally located at a community center for same, allowing Fed-EX, UPS, USPS and others to make one stop for delivery.  We have even conceived that delivery truck charging stations could be installed in the loading/ unloading zones in a DronePort where these trucks park to perform their services for the fast growing EV truck/delivery market. These EV delivery-trucks can be charged while delivery personnel are unloading their deliveries for the residents of the subdivision, apartment or condo complex, etc.

 

 

Materials needed to produce the TotalVault™:

(Note: different models providing different types of utility may or may not include all of the below. A preliminary BOM can be made available for serious inquiries.)

  • Container comprised of heavy-duty plastic or similar substance, or metal
  • Opening and closing mechanisms
  • Electronic components
  • Computer
  • Interface components
  • Battery components
  • Motor
  • Wheels
  • Lighting
  • Speakers

 

A working prototype of the TotalVault™ is in design and will, eventually, be made available to demonstrate the design and functionality of the product.

The owners of this technology are not married to any one specific container design and recognize that any number of the features of the IP may or may not be included in any given specific design.  Holistically we modeled this technology with 3 different SKU’s; (i) the Cadillac Model – with all features, the Mid-Range Model – with some of the specific functions/features for specific licensees, and the Bare-Bones Model – which is designed for basic secured-receptacle utility and more like to be used to populate the market with the product (get it on the shelves for use and further uptake, as it were).

Pricing for each series (or SKU) would be arrived at, based formulaically, on the COGS from that specific model’s BOM, and, which would, accordingly, include proper profit and overhead based on the channels it would be sold through.  In other words, if we decide to go into production, we would model this to make production scalable for different and particular features for varied customer needs.

 

 

 

The TotalVault™ is covered by United States Utility Patent: 11,602,236  and the US 2023/0210295 A1

 

 

 

 

For additional information, licensing opportunities, and a full prospectus on the TotalVault™ contact:

 

 

BankOnIP

VP of Business Development

Email: info@BankOnIP.com