GB2461722A - Integrated goods transport system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of this invention is to provide a system and method of delivering a plurality of different physical items to a plurality of destinations. Optionally, the system and method also provide for the collection of a plurality of items from the same or different destinations. Accordingly, this invention provides a standardized set of modular containers and associated container identification, routing and transport system. By using a robust, modularised container system with integrated tracking and routing, a wide variety of different sizes and classes of goods can be efficiently transported between many endpoints. Combining waste collection and pickup of other goods from the end-points further enhances the efficiencies and energy/material saving nature of the system.

Description

Integrated Goods Transport System and Method The invention relates to a system and method for transporting a plurality of items between a plurality of locations.

Doorstep deliveries of goods such as mail, newspapers, milk, vegetables, groceries etc. are declining due to the ever increasing costs of labour and transport. Increasing car ownership further exacerbates the trend as more individuals are prepared to drive several miles to obtain a relatively small number of items.

Similarly, the increasing need and desire to recycle waste is at odds with the increasing labour and energy costs of collecting it. Hence consumers are expected to keep their waste on their premises longer and yet have to sort it into multiple categories -thus taking up a much higher total volume than before.

Whilst ordering items via the telephone or internet is now widespread, easy and energy efficient, the delivery of these to the home or business, though potentially more energy efficient than having each individual collect the items, is still much less efficient than it could be. Each street in the country is traversed by multiple delivery vans every day yet these are rarely full and because each visits only a proportion of the properties on its route, the average distance travelled per delivery is high.

In addition to these "green" or "eco-friendly" concerns, the increasing standard of living in the developed world is driving higher expectations for rapid delivery of items. In cities, many items can now be ordered online and delivered within a few hours. While this is viable for high value items in high density neighbourhoods, it is uneconomic for rural areas and lower cost commodities. Without a rapid delivery system, many perishable items cannot be readily distributed and hence never achieve their full market potential.

There is therefore a need for a method of distributing physical items efficiently and rapidly to individual dwellings and businesses. A similar need exists for collecting items from said locations -whether to be disposed of, recycled or delivered to another destination.

Existing solutions are now well known for the following. In each case, the examples given are not intended to limit the invention to these specific mechanisms, merely to illustrate that said systems are known.

1. Categorising and/or uniquely identifying items: barcodes, three-dimensional barcodes, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, optical image recognition etc. 2. Determining the location of an object: "Global Positioning System" (GPS) and derivatives, triangulation using radio transmission from cellular towers, integrating the output of motion detectors or combinations thereof.

3. Determining the acceleration and/or velocity and hence displacement of an object: differentiating the location as determined above; gyroscopic sensors; fibre-optic coils etc. 4. Determining the orientation of an object: mercury tilt-switches; liquid-filled capacitive tilt sensors; magnetic direction sensors as used in car dashboard displays etc. 5. Transporting goods in bulk using standardised container sizes is well established in, for example, shipping containers. These have dramatically improved the efficiency of transporting items in bulk over long distances -whether by road, rail, sea or air.

6. Stacking and/or connecting compatible containers together: Lego� bricks, stackable pallets and racking systems, modular shelving systems etc. 7. Moving and directing items of known size and shape to specific destinations: typically combinations of belts, rollers, winches, hydraulic rams etc. typically under computer control.

8. Moving and directing objects or arbitrary size and shape (within acceptable bounds): Baggage handling systems such as those installed at major airports can route individual items of luggage to specific destinations without manual intervention -typically over conveyor belts and baggage carousels. Larger scale systems are also well known for handling entire containers of bags onto and off larger aeroplanes. These typically use platforms with scissor-jack and/or hydraulic rams to raise and lower them plus passive and/or motorised ball bearing beds to move the containers horizontally onto and within the plane.

9. The automated cleaning of, for example, milk bottles and other glass drinks bottles for reuse. Such cleaning systems meet existing food hygiene standards.

10. Automated and semi-automated pick, place and package systems are well known and widely used in the fulfilment centres of mail-order and online trading companies.

Throughout this description, the term "control system" will refer to the combination of hardware and/or software being used to direct the operation of the system as a whole and each individual part thereof It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that a wide range of systems architectures, computer languages, topologies and options may be used to implement such a system. This will typically include a combination of standard computer systems such as those running operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Linux, Unix or others on industry standard hardware platforms such as "PC" platforms using typically Intel or AMD processors, Apple, Sun SPARC or other platforms. Likewise, dedicated computer controllers may be used from some or all elements of the control system. Each element of the control system may be implemented using software running on programmable hardware; through programmed hardware and/or customer designed dedicated hardware.

Likewise the partitioning of functionality between the components of the control system may be achieved in many ways.

It will be apparent to one of skill in the art that there are many known methods by which components of the overall system may communicate with each other. The description may give examples but in all cases, it will be understood that a wide range of communication mechanisms may be used, alone or in combination. These include but are not limited to: physical, direct or indirect connection by means of connected conductors; inductive transfer by electromagnetic waves. Such mechanisms are utilized by a wide range of existing systems including but not limited to Universal Serial Bus (USB), Bluetooth, Ultra-low Power Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (many variants), cellular mobile transmissions, satellite links. The signals may be carried by dedicated or shared links e.g. point-to-point connection, broadcast or multicast, corporate intranet or public internet or by any combination thereof. This use of said technologies allows the control system to span the world as needed.

An object of this invention is to provide a system and method of delivering a plurality of different physical items to a plurality of destinations. Optionally, the system and method also provide for the collection of a plurality of items from the same or different destinations.

Accordingly, this invention provides a standardized set of modular containers and associated container identification, routing and transport system.

Overview A high level overview of one example deployment of the system is given below. This is not intended to be limiting and is merely presented so as to provide context for the detailed description of alternative and optional implementations that follow.

Goods are packaged into standard sized containers. As an example, think of a system using boxes that approximate in size to the well-known objects: "Large Breakfast Cereal Box", "Grocery Box", "Laundry Bin" and "Large Wheelie Bin". The lafter two would be rarely used in a domestic environment as most houses receive their daily post and milk in a pair of the first type of boxes and their daily grocery supplies in one of the second size.

Preferably, each container is uniquely identified and can be tracked through the system.

Each neighbourhood contains a local distribution centre. This is where electric delivery vans are loaded with the boxes for a particular route. A small town may have half a dozen delivery vans, each of which covers two routes first thing each morning.

Thereafter, vans are despatched as needed during the day -giving guaranteed same day delivery for orders up to, say, 3pm from the local distribution centre. Typically this distribution centre is co-located with at least a newsagent andlor general store that can provide most basic essentials from stock.

Local shops fill containers at the distribution centre and these are then automatically routed on to the correct van and delivered to the properties on the route. Where new developments have been constructed to support this delivery system, or existing properties modified to accommodate it, the containers are delivered via an "air-lock" style mechanism. The delivery driver "posts" the containers through a hatch in the exterior wall of the property, after first collecting any empty containers; those containing refuse or recyclable material or goods for delivery to other addresses.

Multi-occupancy buildings may incorporate an updated version of the traditional "dumb waiter" mechanism (a small elevator designed for carrying trays of food etc.) within them to distribute each container to the appropriate apartment without the delivery driver's involvement.

Regional or national distributors may also deliver items to the distribution hub. Ideally these are already loaded into containers but, if not, staff at the distribution hub will place them in appropriate containers for the final leg of distribution.

Detailed Description

A preferred embodiment of the best mode known of implementing the invention follows. This is not intended to be limiting but merely one example of how such a system may be constructed and will function. This is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. These are not intended to be accurately to scale and concentrate primarily on those aspects of the design that are relevant to the invention.

FIGURE 1 shows examples of the modular containers FIGURE 2 shows an exemplary means of attaching containers to each other andlor to other objects.

FIGURE 3 shows two containers connected using the mechanism of Figure 2.

FIGURE 4 shows a local delivery van load area with optional automated container management sub-system.

FIGURE 5 shows a local distribution hub and recycling collection point.

Containers a) Physical Outline The system is based on the use of containers of a standardised shape and size that allows them to be handled automatically, simply and efficiently. It will be appreciated that any size and shape of container could be used but in practise, the optimal size is determined by the make-up of the goods to be delivered.

Advantageously, the containers are substantially cuboid in shape allowing efficient stacking in all three dimensions. One or more faces may be hinged, removable, have an opening in it or otherwise allow items or liquids, powders etc. be inserted into the container. The same or different orifice(s) may be used to allow the contents to leave the container.

Preferably containers are manufactured in several sizes and shapes allowing the efficient transport of a range of different sizes and shapes of goods. It will be appreciated that liquid, gaseous or fine solids (e.g. powders, to small pellets) can be accommodated within any shape of container. In this case it is primarily the volume that determines how appropriate each container is for transporting a given quantity of the substance.

Preferably the outer dimensions of the containers are in whole number ratios to each other such that stacks of many smaller containers match the size of stacks of fewer larger containers and hence stacks made of mixed sizes can be built without unnecessary internal gaps and holes.

Figure 1 shows an example of three types of container. Preferably each outer dimension of every container type is an integer multiple of a given minimum length = referred to as the "fundamental unit" length. For example, a 100mm fundamental unit length may be used -giving the smallest possible container of 100 x 100 x 100mm. A container may then be defined in terms of the number of such units that make up its width, depth and height (in that order). Hence a 4x 1 x4 container would be 400mm wide x 100mm deep x 400mm high (1). The next largest container might be 4x4x4 (2) and the third, 4x4x8 (3).

In a given system, not all possible sizes of container are provided. Typically two to ten container sizes are used -and of these, only two or three are in widespread daily use for distribution to residents. The larger ones are more often used within the higher tiers of the distribution network for the bulk transport of goods -such as liquid, powdered or granular material. They can also be used to transport large numbers of smaller containers.

Preferably the internal dimensions of larger containers permit them to hold an integer number of smaller containers -optionally rotated through 90 degrees in one or more planes. This allows for the more efficient transport of empty containers as is required in any unbalanced distribution network where more goods are delivered than are collected.

The choice of the unit length andlor which container sizes to produce may be determined by considering the nature, size, weight and quantities of goods to be transported. One common container size may be, for example, suitable for holding all of the letters, newspapers and small packages delivered by the postal service to a single residence on at least 90% of occasions. One or more larger sizes of container would be required to hold the occasional larger items.

Dimensions are also determined due to considerations of compatibility with existing transport mechanisms. For example, preferably the containers are sized such that an integer number of containers stacked side-by-side and front-to-back (reasonably closely) match the dimensions of: 1. standard kitchen cupboard units e.g. two grocery box sized containers could be placed in a standard kitchen cupboard unit and pulled out as two drawers.

2. standard shipping pallet.

3. standard shipping containers. The containers may be sized such that an integer number of the most commonly used container sizes stacked in three dimensions fits comfortably within the internal usable dimensions of a standard shipping container. These design choices allow suppliers to fill both pallets and shipping containers close to optimally.

A further factor affecting the range of containers produced and used with the system is the degree (if any) to which each container may be rotated about a horizontal axis.

Certain containers e.g. those fitted with a tap to allow liquid to exit, may only function when the tap is at the bottom but it may not matter which way up the container is transported. Conversely, some contents (e.g. a cake) may have to be transported in a particular orientation even though the box they arrive in may be a symmetrical clam-shell design in which either half could be considered the "top".

Thus by having a fundamental unit length, a smaller range of container sizes may be used as each can be turned through 90 degrees about any axis to accommodate goods that must be transported in a particular orientation that would otherwise necessitate a larger container. However, this may lead to less optimal use of pallet and shipping containers.

A further design choice in each system is whether containers are designed to abut each other in zero, one, two or three dimensions. Where a racking or shelving system is used, the external dimensions of the containers are reduced according to the gap that results between them from the racking system's shelves and dividers in whichever dimensions these are used. One such approach would to be use shelves and vertical dividers forming a grid array similar to a wine-rack. Typically in such a system, each rectangular hole of W x H fundamental units (width by height) will be D fundamental units deep -and therefore may accommodate a single W x D x H container or a set of smaller containers which together fill the same space or a subset thereof.

The wall thickness may vary but is typically sufficient to accommodate cut-outs, keying and latching mechanisms in at least one face as described in detail below.

Preferably, the wall thickness in each dimension (i.e. including "lid" and "floor") within the container are such that a container of size (W-I)x(D-I)x(H-I) will fit inside a WxDxH container (i.e. fundamental unit >= 2 x worst case wall thickness). Varying wall thickness, material and physical design will determine both the load carrying capability of a container and its crush strength when stacked.

Optionally, the inner surfaces of containers have bend radii of at least a few mm. This makes it easier to clean them thoroughly as otherwise dirt can become trapped along an edge or in a corner where a rotating brush or other automated cleaning mechanism may not be able to penetrate. Further, the outer bend radius of the walls should be matched to the inner bend radius so that when one container is placed inside another, the faces come into contact even when the wall thicknesses are exactly half a fundamental unit. This also ensures that the containers are comfortable to touch and lift by hand -without any sharp edges which may injure anyone coming into contact with them.

Preferably, containers are "keyed" such that their orientation can easily be determined automatically. This may be achieved by means of a plurality of physical protrusions and/or holes. Preferably the outer finish (e.g. paint or covering) shall include at least some indication of the directionality of the container (e.g. arrows along one or more sides). This combination allows both automated systems and humans easily to determine which way round a container should be placed.

b) Container Movement and Contact In one embodiment of the system, the containers are designed to abut each other and to slide over each other in direct contact in one or more dimensions.

Preferably, said containers can easily be joined together and subsequently separated.

This may be achieved using a variety of means, including but not limited to: interlocking protrusions and indents; Velcro�; "click-fit" etc. For example, using matching protrusions and corresponding indents that can be released by moving the containers vertically relative to each other -as one would release a piece from a jigsaw puzzle. Such interlocking mechanisms may take the form of "push-fit" components; separate rods, levers or other joining components and may be operated manually or automatically e.g. by motors, solenoids, compressed air, gravity or other means. They may be operated and released by any of a wide variety of means, including but not limited to: translation in one or more directions, rotation, stretching, compression, the application of heat, light, magnetic or other stimuli.

An exemplary embodiment is shown in Figure 2. This shows a cross-section through one end of an upper (6) and lower (7) container. The interlocking mechanism is constructed from corrugations of trapezoidal cross-section (8), (9) on one or more faces of the containers (only one pair of faces shown). While providing additional physical strength to the face covered, or partly covered with these corrugations, their primary purpose is to allow containers to rest stably on each other and slide across each other relatively easily when lowered onto each other but to interlock with each other when the containers are presented end to each other and slid together such that the teeth (8), (9) mesh with each other as shown in Figure 3.

Preferably the pitch, i.e. distance between centres of successive corrugations is an integer fraction of the fundamental unit e.g. /4 of the fundamental unit. This ensures that containers which are already joined to each other in one dimension can be joined to a single container in another dimension.

Preferably, the height of the corrugations shall be equal to their pitch. Hence faces that are abutted rather than slide together are 1 corrugation further apart than those which have been slid together.

Said corrugations will typically have a more rounded profile than shown in Figure 2.

As with the edges of the containers, this makes them safer, more comfortable to handle, easier to manufacture and easier to keep clean. Furthermore, as the corrugations reach each end of the box, they will typically be tapered or rounded with an even larger radius so as to avoid the need to align containers precisely when attempting to connect them, Approximately aligned containers will come into precise alignment as the boxes are slid into and beyond the tapered regions.

Note that said corrugations also provide much of the thermal insulation properties of a double-skin wall. The space within the corrugations may be used (10) for the inclusion of sensors, power cells. antennae and or connectors e.g power connectors, GPS or cellular phone antennae etc. without further eating into the inner (usable) payload volume of the container.

Optionally, the corrugations may be made of and/or may incorporate materials other than that of which the main walls are constructed. For example, steel, glass fibre or carbon fibre strands may be incorporated to increase the rigidity of the container by resisting bending along the corrugations.

One or more surfaces of these corrugations may optionally be constructed of or coated with a conducting material so as to allow an electrical connection. It will be appreciated that different corrugations may be used for different connections (e.g. +5V and OV) to allow power to be transferred to or from the container. Further connections within the container may join corrugations on opposing and/or adjacent faces such that power may be transferred via one container to others to which it is connected.

It will also be appreciated that communication can occur over similar or the same conductors (e.g. as in USB). This allows electronics in any or all containers to communicate with each other and/or the docking stations. Furthermore, patterns of conductors at pre-determined points along the corrugations allow sensors to determine when and how well the containers are aligned. Similar schemes can be deployed using physical cut-outs and physical or light sensors to determine whether or not containers are connected partially, wholly or not at all.

In a further embodiment, such connections may be made in two or all three dimensions allowing any three-dimensional combination of containers to be joined and thereafter moved in at least one dimension as single entity, with or without an outer "shell", base, sides or other partial enclosure holding the arrangement in place.

A particular refinement of this is provided by a "chequerboard" pattern. This is best described by imagining one of the ways in which it may be made. Consider a horizontal milling machine able to cut a channel of the required cross-section e.g. as shown in Figure 2. Use this to cut the corrugations of Figure 2 and then turn the container through 90 degrees horizontally. Cut further corrugations across the face.

The result will be a series of alternating square raised "islands" each of which has four tapered sides. Two such faces abutted in exact alignment will not interlock but when moved one half pitch in both directions such that the islands on one face are directly over the "holes" in the other, can then be pushed together. While one half pitch out of alignment in one dimension, they can then be slid across each other in the other dimension. Whereas manually operated systems such as fork-lift trucks and manually controlled tail-lifts are not readily positioned to within an accuracy of better than a few centimetres, automatically controlled mechanisms typically using screw-threads and stepper motors are routinely capable of positioning devices to within a millimetre.

Such systems are well suited to pushing, pulling and lifting these containers.

Optionally, means may be provided for selectively allowing or prohibiting easy movement in said one or more dimensions. Said means could include, but is not limited to, peg(s) or protrusions moveable so as to project from or fit flush into one or more faces. Said protrusions or other mechanism may be controlled manually (e.g. by the operator pushing or sliding them) or under the direct or remote control via actuators or similar of the operator and/or the controlling software system. A simple bolt (11) and corresponding hole (12) is shown in Figure 2. It will be appreciated that various combinations of shaped orifices in the container walls, actuators and/or springs may be combined to provide said manual or automatic means of latching and releasing movement in any required dimension.

In a specific embodiment, bolts (11) are made of magnetic material and may be moved by the application of a magnetic field applied from e.g. a solenoid placed near to the bolt. It will be appreciated that a further piece of magnetic material attached at right angles to the first may be manipulated in another dimension by the application of a magnetic field at right angles to the first. An external, non-contact means of positioning the pin in two dimensions can therefore be used, optionally with springs and latches to provide a bi-stable mechanism that will not move through normal vibration, inversion or dropping of the containers but when sufficient force is applied by the external actuator the pin will lift and move so as to engage/disengage with the correspondingly shaped orifice.

In a further refinement of this latching mechanism, said bolts or other protuberances may be designed such that, when a face of a container is not connected to another container, the mechanism is accessible and may be operated by hand e.g. so as to drop the bolt through the hole -potentially with a spring mechanism holding it in the extended position. As the other container is slid into the position to be locked, a tapered face on the bolt may allow the other container to push it back temporarily and then the spring behind it forces it into the hole as the containers are fully mated. This face of the container is no longer accessible hence the connection cannot be undone without the use of a separate tool or mechanism, such as a solenoid to move the bolt.

In a further embodiment containers are designed to be separated by shelves or walls of a modular racking system. The surfaces in contact -whether direct container to container or container to racking system may advantageously be designed to allow containers to slide easily -for example by being made of low friction material such as nylon, at least in the areas of contact e.g. runners. As above with containers in direct contact with each other, means are provided to allow or prevent the containers from moving as and when desired. As above, said means may include, but is not limited to: projecting/flush rods or other objects coming from or passing through one or more faces of the container and/or in this case one or more of the shelf, ceiling and/or side panels or rails.

Any or all surfaces of the shelving, racking or outer container system may themselves incorporate a corrugation mechanism as described in Figure 2 such that containers may be effectively joined to said structure and then optionally locked into position.

c) Container Detail Although a small number of standard sizes and a common means of connecting, identifying and interlocking containers are advantageous, there are many reasons why not all containers of a given size should be absolutely identical.

Optionally, the material of which the container is made, the wall thickness and construction (e.g. hollow, solid, foam-filled) and a range of other factors may vary according to the nature of the goods it is intended to hold. A given type of container will have a maximum design payload weight and maximum crush strength. Together, these will determine the type of content and the number and type of containers that may be safely stacked above any given container.

The different designs of container may also incorporate different surface finishes and materials, Examples include but are not limited to: * Double-skinned vacuum wall container for the transport of hot meals.

* Foam filled insulated wall container for the transport of chilled food over short distances.

* Food container grade, steam cleanable internal surface for the transport of bulk food items without additional packaging e.g. milk, flour, drinking water.

* Whether the container is airtight, watertight, has drain holes or is porous e.g. ones with ventilation holes would allow the transport of plants or animals Each container type may be further differentiated by one or more of the following: * Presence or absence of integral dividers allowing the internal sub-division of the container. In a preferred embodiment, flexible, interlocking and/or separable dividers are provided to allow the internal space to be subdivided into one of many different configurations as needed. This supports both separation of contents into categories and the support of otherwise unstable contents which can be supported in a confined space. Preferably, said dividers fold flush against one or more walls of the container so that substantially the whole volume can be used as a single space or, (e.g. through interleaved slats in two dividers arranged at right-angles) can be sub-divided into two or four separate spaces allowing segregation of the contents. An example would be where flexible internal dividers are provided inside a container of approximately 600mm x 400mm x 400mm -such as might be used to deliver groceries and subsequently return glass, plastic, paper and organic matter for recycling. In this case, the four corners of the box may be differently coloured and/or labelled to encourage consistent use. Thus, instead of having to have separate containers, each large enough to cope with the worst case refuse volume of glass, plastic, paper and non-recyclables, the user can divide the container according to that day's waste and leave it out for collection as soon as it is full -at which point another container will be made available for them.

Preferably, said internal dividers are easily identifiable by the automated system e.g. by colour, bar code or other pattern visible from above the box. A physical key may also be used to mate with corresponding components on the automated container handling system. As users move the dividers to apportion the internal space between, say four, compartments, the automated system can thus easily determine in which of the possible positions the dividers have been placed. This facilitates the automated emptying of a specific compartment e.g. by inversion of the container whilst covering the top of the other three compartments.

* Means of access. There may be any one or more faces through which entry is gained; it may open like a book; it may have multiple leaves; it may have a tap through which liquid contents may be poured; it may have one or more holes through which powdered or other small items may be extracted (e.g. breakfast cereal).

* Compartments for the insertion of items that improve the transportation of the goods -such as impact protection (e.g. polystyrene foam), cooling or warming blocks (frozen gel, dry ice or others), dehumidifiers and security devices (such as paint-bombs that explode should the contents be tampered with).

* Heating andlor cooling elements may be built into the container itself. Power connection points on the outside of the container will be of standardised type, size and position. Optionally multiple voltages may be provided through the floor, walls and/or ceiling of the space holding the containers. Where containers are designed to abut without intervening shelving/walls, the container wall preferably carries conductors to allow those containers beyond it to access the power that is otherwise only accessible to the container in direct contact with the external supply pins/plates.

* Optionally, inductive power transfer techniques may be used to allow contactless power transfer to devices within the containers. This may be achieved using pickup loops built into the containers themselves or separable devices within the containers.

* Latching or locking mechanisms appropriate to the contents to be carried.

These may include but are not limited to: child-proof, tamper-evident, easy-open mechanisms.

Optionally, containers may consist of a common "shell". This typically provides the strength and electronics (e.g. identification such as RFID tag, and display/input device if present) may be used with a range of different lids and/or inserts according to need.

Thus a more flexible array of storage options can be held without taking up the space that would be needed to hold the worst case number of each possible type of container. Instead a pool of containers is used with a larger number of different lids/inserts -which typically stack better than the cuboid containers can.

Preferably containers are designed to be used many times over but it will be appreciated that in some cases, lower cost containers designed for single use may be appropriate -for example where the content is difficult to extract cleanly e.g. oil, cleaning chemicals etc. In most cases, however, containers should be designed for automated cleaning -particularly where used for refuse collection along with deliveries. Although industrial cleaning approaches may well produce a hygienic and safe container after it has been used for refuse, customer acceptance of shared use for food and refuse may force the use of separate containers (e.g. distinguishable by colour).

In a further variant, containers may be designed to be "refurbished" every time they are used or after a set number of uses or when their appearance deteriorates to an unacceptable standard. Said "refurbishment" may include, but is not limited to, re-spraying paint; optionally removing and recoating with an external layer of teflon, nylon, plastic, resin, paint or lacquer or the transfer of an inner component -typically containing the expensive elements such as the RFID tag and providing the strength of the container inside a cheap but limited life and mainly cosmetic shell.

Preferably, means are provided for marking one of a number of options as the container is closed andlor left out for collection. For example, a user may wish to indicate that one container holds refuse while another holds unwanted goods to be returned to the source from which they came; yet another holds items of mail this individual wishes to send via the postal service whilst a further container is marked as "empty".

Advantageously, said means forces the user to make a conscious choice from the available options as he/she closes the container -so as to avoid trashing valuable items simply because the user forgets to mark the container appropriately. Said means may include but are not limited to: writing, printing or otherwise marking on the container or a label; depressing one of a number of interlocked buttons; interacting with a computer driven user interface and input mechanism such as a touch sensitive screen. Preferably the user is prevented from shutting the container without having made a selection e.g. only by pressing a button is a hole exposed through which a latch on the lid must fit in order for it to close properly. This is further helped by the relatively tight tolerances on the shelfing, racking or other receptacles into or through which containers must pass. By ensuring that a container can only enter said orifice when the lid is firmly shut, spillage, contamination and odours are reduced.

Containers may be branded, labelled or coloured or otherwise constructed or marked so as to identif' the type of content they hold andlor the brand or manufacturer producing them.

Preferably, each container shall have means of identifying its type and/or its unique identity. This may be done by a variety of means, including but not limited to: printed or written numbers, letters or symbols; bar-coding; radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

Optionally, the containers may include means for applying temporary branding or labelling so that the contents can be determined by a human without having to reference the unique identifier of the box e.g. by insertion of a printed card into a transparent window; a multi-faceted bar that can be rotated to show one of a number of options; an integral display device showing the current contents etc. Optionally, all or a proportion of containers may include a tracking device such as a satellite tracking device, a mobile phone transmitter etc. In this way it will be possible to actively track down at least a proportion of lostlstolenlmissing containers. To deter criminals and encourage swift and careful return of containers it may only be necessary to equip a proportion (e.g. 5%) of containers with such devices. So as to avoid "big brother" concerns regarding unauthorised surveillance of users, said tracking devices may be configured so as to become active only when not returned to the distribution hub or an authorised end-point (e.g. delivery point at customer's house) for a period of time e.g. several days. Preferably it shall be difficult or impossible to determine visually which containers hold said tracking devices e.g. by incorporating them inside the moulded skin of the container.

Preferably, containers will have a means of showing a "use by" or "best before" date -whether by printing on the material, applying a label, an insert or an active display device. Otherwise it is only by looking up the container's unique identifier in the controlling computer system that one can determine such detail.

Optionally, containers may incorporate a transparent or translucent panel or strip allowing the user to see how full they are. This is particularly useful for containers holding bulk liquids, powders or particulate e.g. fruit juice, wine, water, washing powder, breakfast cereal etc. Containers designed to withstand internal pressure may be used to transport carbonated drinks, beer etc. They may also make use of "widget" technology to release gas into the contents as the valve, tap or other exit/entry point is opened.

Optionally, containers may include one or more power sources -such as a built-in or removable battery or fuel cell, solar panels on one or more faces or opening out from the container. A rechargeable battery cell may be a common component within many containers -allowing them to charge whilst on the van or at the distribution hub and to then power their own electronics or those of the delivery point/post to which they are subsequently connected. Said power sources may be removable by end users, by use of special tools or authorisation codes or built into the fabric of the container itself Specialised containers may act purely as power sources, providing connection to other, unpowered containers through the same connector mechanism discussed above.

Such containers may, according to their size, be in the form of sealed lead acid batteries, fuel cells or -typically in larger containers -generator units.

Further variants on these fuel cells may contain pressurised gas (LPG) or similar fuels. In such cases, the inherent strength, safety and need to comply with existing standards of a cylindrical container is such that a container may simply be an outer shell over a standard cylindrical gas container. Preferentially said outer shell may be removed when the container is delivered and returned for reuse rather than being left with the end customer.

Yet other containers may be specialised thermal insulation units or active cooling or heating elements. When inside an enclosure e.g. a delivery van, a few such units may be used to control the temperature throughout the van -prefererably being distributed throughout the space so as to provide the required temperature throughout or to keep different areas at different temperatures as required by the neighbouring containers. In one scenario, a block of temperature sensitive containers may be completely or partially surrounded by said insulating and/or heating/cooling containers so as to allow a standard van to act as a (somewhat lower capacity) refrigerated or heated van when needed without having to always carry the weight and lose the space that would be taken up by a permanent heater/refrigerator. This allows a single van design to be used rather than have to provide a mix of refrigerated and normal vans/trucks.

In the above, or other types of containers, one or more thermometer and/or thermostat sensors and/or associated circuitry may be incorporated into the container. In such cases, and several others, a transmitting device may also be included over and above the identification mechanism. This allows such containers to be actively tracked e.g. via Wifi, cellular telephone or satellite communications to ensure that their position is known even when not inside the transportation hubs or delivery mechanisms.

In one class of container, the container may actually be entirely or largely composed of the material to be transported. Some fuels for example may be formed into the shape of the container and a tagging (e.g. RFID) component simply be added during transit.

Advantageously, the container may show a message visible as it is opened e.g. on the underside of a hinged lid. Such messages can encourage recycling e.g. on a daily postal delivery container, the message "Please place used envelopes and unwanted paper straight back in here for recycling" may be printed.

d) Container Trolleys Advantageously, a wheeled trolley -similar in size and function to a "sack trolley" -is provided that allows a single user to move a stack of several boxes at once. This is typically tilted backwards once loaded allowing it to be wheeled on a single pair of wheels. Preferably this trolley folds away and may be used by delivery van operators and/or recipients or sources of containers. Preferably, said trolley incorporates a latching or locking mechanism compatible with those built into the containers so that the stack of containers on it is held firmly in place during transport.

For moving larger stacks of containers a trolley with hydraulic lift is provided -similar to a pallet trolley but again, preferably with mating components that lock a stack of containers onto it securely when required.

e) Handheld Device A further component of the system is a handheld scanner, compatible with the identification means embedded in or attached to the individual containers. This allows the user to identify and manipulate the routing and content information for a container in front of him.

Optionally, this device may also incorporate a general purpose computer system, GPS tracking system and communication mechanisms. It may therefore form an integral part of the overall tracking system.

f) Delivery Van The final leg of the journey for containers travelling to specified destinations will normally be made on a "van" of some sort. This may be any type of vehicle capable of holding one or more of said containers.

For example,

* In high-density urban areas close to the distribution centre, a hand-guided cart (passive or powered e.g. by electricity) may be used with the operator walking it to and from the distribution centre or an intermediate distribution point.

* Electric "milk-float" style vehicles within towns and suburbs.

* "Postbus" style vans with some load carrying and some passenger capacity in rural areas e.g. where bus services are poor.

* Diesel vans/buses in remote areas beyond the range of electric vehicles.

* Cars and other vehicles, the primary use of which is transporting people or other goods, will also benefit from having docking/handling points so that they can carry a few of the containers effectively. In the same way that many cars now support common fixing points for child seats (ISOfix system) so it is anticipated that locking points will be provided for the containers and that spaces within vehicles will be sized to accommodate the common container sizes.

Preferably, a delivery van is at least partially powered by electricity. By combining all of the separate deliveries that would previously be made to a set of addresses into a single delivery round, a van of given size will visit fewer addresses than each of several vans carrying the individual delivery subsets would have visited. This means that the required range of the van is, on average, less than it would otherwise have been and hence an electrically powered van is more likely to be able to cover the route.

As noted earlier, some containers may be or contain energy sources. In addition to delivering these to destinations, one or more such containers may also be used to power the delivery van itself. This allows an electric delivery van to be designed with adequate built in battery for normal use. On occasions when it needs to travel further than its built in batteries will support, it may be loaded with one or more additional battery containers. These connect via the previously mentioned conductors but in this case provide power from the container to the vehicle -supplementing its integral batteries. This allows the average vehicle weight to be kept down whilst offering a longer range capability -albeit with slightly reduced payload when needed. As the computer system understands the destination of all the containers on the vehicle, it can also predict the power requirements for the projected route -even taking into account gradients, vehicle loading and likely traffic conditions -and ensure enough top-up power is provided in this way.

An example payload area of a delivery vans is shown in Figure 4. This is preferentially a cuboid formed by at least a floor panel (12) and capable of holding an integral number of containers in each of three dimensions. It will be appreciated that this can be accommodated on a wide range of truck or van chassis -which often provide such a "flat-bed" area.

Floor panel (12) may optionally contain rollers and/or guides to ensure the easy movement of containers across the surface in one or more directions. It may also incorporate one or more fixed or retractable protrusions or other devices intended to limit the movement of the containers thereon.

Preferably the surface also supports the same interlocking mechanism as the containers themselves -thus allowing containers to be fixed securely to it e.g. using the shaped grooves of Figure 2 or otherwise. As with the containers, cutting grooves at right angles to form a chequerboard pattern allows movement both along and across the floor when the grooves are aligned with the protrusions on the containers and blocks movement when they are out of alignment.

The load area may optionally have a roof (13) which may also have the same or similar features as the floor (12) -thus allowing additional containers to be accommodated above it. The lower surface of the roof (13) may also be built with the interconnecting mechanism -allowing containers to hang from it and/or to provide an extremely rigid construction should the volume be filled top to bottom with containers.

Preferably the roof is supported by vertical supports (14) which themselves are one fundamental unit of length square in cross section, If these are mounted inside the floor area (12) then the load carrying capacity of the container is reduced accordingly in each corners. Similarly the floor and roof units are optimally designed to be one fundamental unit deep ensuring that stacks of outer containers also conform to the fundamental bui1ding-block" dimensions.

Outer side panels, whether rigid or flexible (e.g. tarpaulin), are optional but note that when provided, these hinder access to the load and prevent the load from being manipulated via and sliding through that side. In fact, it will be noted that with the chequer-board pattern of orthogonal grooves, containers may be loaded and unloaded from the outer payload area via any unobstructed side.

It will be appreciated that containers can be loaded, moved around the payload bed and stacked by hand.

Where the containers cannot or have not been pre-sorted or where additional containers are collected for delivery to other addresses on the route, it may be necessary to reorder the containers on the van or to deliver them out of order.

For the former option, a delivery van may preferentially be fitted with a means of moving and hence sorting the containers.

Optionally, a mechanical device may be temporarily or permanently attached to or simply brought into contact or near to the payload unit. Said device can be constructed so as to be able to manipulate containers within the payload unit. An example of such a device is shown in Figure 4. A frame (15) supports a shelf (16) that is deep enough to accommodate containers of the size to be transported. Note that the maximum size container that can be accommodated in this way is of cross section equal to that of the shelf (16) and height equal to the internal spacing between floor (12) and roof (13).

Containers may be pushed onto the shelf through the frame and thereafter moved into the correct position by said mechanism. Screw-threaded uprights within the frame allow accurate vertical positioning of the shelf which may be moved by stepper motors, cables, hydraulic rams or other means in a vertical direction under the control of a computer system. Sensors may be incorporated to help determine the exact position (e.g. by optical patterns, sensing the rotation of the screw threads in the vertical colunins.) A telescopic hydraulic ram (19), scissor jack or other mechanism for pushing containers into the body of the payload area is mounted on a bracket (17) that can be moved across the payload area e.g. by a motor turning threaded rod (18) to which it is attached. Again, the motor and associated sensors are preferably under the control of a computerised system that can accurately position the components to within a few millimetres.

Preferably, the pushing device also incorporates a mechanism for latching onto the containers so that when retracted it can optionally pull the container after it. A keyed plate (20), for example, can be designed with the same chequer-board pattern as is on the containers. As with container to container contact, when the raised squares are not aligned perfectly, the ram can push but does not engage with the mechanism. When rotated so that the squares align, it can then be pushed further allowing the mechanism to interlock and then rotated further allowing the ram to pull against the container and withdraw it from the van.

Thus boxes may be automatically repositioned without intervention from the operator.

The next box(es) to be delivered will therefore be positioned at the optimum pickup point (e.g. immediately behind the driver's door) thus minimizing the time required for each delivery.

Optionally, the payload area (formed by (12),(13),(14) in Figure 4) may also be removable from the van -hence forming an outer enclosure (known as a "container pack") that may be pre-filled with containers and loaded directly onto the chassis of the van. This may remove or reduce the need for the automated sorting mechanism on each van. Alternatively, one or more containers may be placed or slid onto the van through the side, back or lowered from above onto the payload area.

Optionally, the mechanism by which these container packs are connected to vans andlor each other may be a scaled up equivalent of the mechanism used to connect containers.

Optionally, the roof of the van may also be capable of having containers attached. It will be appreciated that the shelf (16) may be lifted as high as the roof (13) allowing containers to be slid onto the roof as well as inside the container. This provides useful overflow space for one or more layers of empty containers as there may be more containers collected on a delivery round than are delivered. As the containers stack on each other, two or more layers -subject to overall height restrictions -may be stacked there. It also provides space to allow the reordering of containers within a fully loaded van. The automated mechanism allows containers to be stacked higher than a human could safely do so.

Where the eventual destination of all containers is known before loading the van, containers will preferably be sorted such that the delivery route results in containers being removed in sequence from the payload area -with one or more contiguous and pre-joined containers being left at each drop-off point. Containers collected are loaded into the space left by those already delivered or onto the shelf (16) where automated positioning equipment is fitted. Where more containers may be collected than have been delivered, an additional layer of containers may be started or if this can be predicted by the control system from previous experience andlor current loading schedules, then a less than full van may be sent out in the first place.

Preferably, delivery vans can be driven (typically in reverse) right up to, and join on to a mating docking point. This allows stacks of containers to be pushed straight onto or off of the vans. Angled and/or movable couplings allow rapid connection without the need for excessive accuracy when reversing onto the loading dock.

Depending on the climate, the content of deliveries and the weather resistance of the containers being used, said delivery vans may be open-sided or enclosed.

Advantageously, at least one part of the container bay area, contains a sensing mechanism that can identify the containers as they are loaded onto the van and then tracks their position on the van. Alternatively a sensor in wireless contact with the containers or carried or positioned within reach of them is used to note the identity of each container added to or taken from the van.

Advantageously, at least one part of the container bay area andlor handling mechanism (e.g. shelf (16)) contains strain gauge(s) or other means of sensing the weight of the known container(s) above it. This allows the computer system on the van to sense the weight of each container if it is loaded on or transferred to such a point on the van. As the identity of each container is also known, the weight of the contents can be deduced by subtracting the weight of the container itself. This allows the system to ensure that the van is not overloaded and that no container is stacked beneath more than its allowable crush weight of other containers. This mechanism also allows for charging for delivery according to the weight of the containers' contents.

Advantageously, the delivery van may incorporate one or more passenger seats allowing it to transport people within the local area. While not fast (as it is stopping to collect or deliver at each property) in rural areas and for those without access to public transport or for whom walking is difficult this can provide an invaluable service -even if only to transport them as far as the nearest bus or train stop. Priority may be given to the disabled and even to those without their own transport -hence further discouraging car ownership.

Advantageously, the van may be designed to be flexible with respect to its load versus passenger carrying capacity. "Stow-and-go" seating is now commonplace in people-carriers and allows the operator to choose and easily switch between a flat load surface and seating. A further refinement to this is that the spaces under and between seats may be used for the carriage of containers e.g. one 4x4x6 under every seat and a row of 4x4x is between them. Advantageously, since the containers are typically designed to support a crush load greater than that of a person sitting on them, one or more containers locked into position may actually form part of the structure of the seat -requiring only a padded andlor moulded seat base and back to be applied over or around it.

Advantageously, delivery routes may be designed such that delivery and pickup is performed substantially only as the vans radiate out from or head towards the distribution hub (as opposed to throughout a circular route ending up back at the hub).

This ensures that their return journey from the furthest point on their route to the hub is rapid -perhaps stopping at only a few locations to allow people to board/dismount.

This way a more rapid transit service to the hub can be provided.

The above service works well in the mornings. The first deliveries of the day are made to every property and as the vans return rapidly to the hubs they bring the commuters with them. Many residents will work within walking distance of the hub and, for those that do not, as the hub is a natural site for a bus, train or tram stop they can easily transfer there to other vehicles.

In the evening, as commuters want to get home, the vans operate the opposite way.

Taking people out rapidly to the edge of their route then delivering and collecting goods on their return to the hub.

Similar optimizations can be performed to improve the level of utilisation of the vans throughout the day. Certain goods -such as the mail, newspapers, milk and breakfast items can be given preference on the early morning deliveries. General groceries -which tend to be larger but less urgent can then be carried during the day.

Acting as a feeder service, the system can transport school children to a bus-stop allowing the main buses to be more efficient and stick to the major roads. On a smaller scale, it can encourage car sharing as individuals can indicate right up to the moment the delivery van arrives at their neighbour's house that they are willing to take that neighbour's child to school that morning.

Alternating the direction of delivery services in such areas to ensure fairness of ride-sharing may be advantageous. Similarly, varying the route taken from day to day can ensure "fairness" and even out opportunities to meet deadlines. Making the route consistent week on week, however, allows residents to adhere to fixed part-time or flexible working rotas. For example, Resident A can make the 8.3Oam train on Monday and Thursday while Resident B can make it on Tuesday and Friday. This allows people to plan their week consistently and encourages job-sharing and part-time working.

g) Supplier's Truck Suppliers of goods typically fall into two categories: those providing many of a small number of different goods (e.g. milk deliveries) or those providing individually addressed items, each of which is unique. Initially, each supplier will have a fleet of larger trucks with which to deliver goods to each distribution center. As the system spreads, larger distribution hubs will merge loads from different suppliers onto smaller numbers of trucks -replicating the efficiency savings achieved on local delivery rounds at the next level of the distribution network.

As with the delivery van, the supplier's truck can accommodate a block of containers -typically several times the length and height of a delivery van but of similar width (as this is dictated by road width).

Where existing suppliers' trucks are used rather than those built specifically for this integrated delivery system, deliveries will normally be palletised and unloaded by fork-lift truck or pallet-truck before being broken down into quantities suitable for loading onto each delivery van. By ensuring compatibility with shipping container sizes, there is no overarching need to change existing trucks.

As with the delivery van, the truck may optionally include a robotic sorting mechanism such as that shown in Figure 4. This allows the contents to be reordered during the journey such that a contiguous block of containers can be offloaded as the truck visits each distribution depot on its route. As with the delivery vans, ideally these are ordered to suit the route that the truck is to take -thus reducing the need for a robotic sorting mechanism on each delivery van.

h) Local Distribution Hub This can be considered as a combination of a local "sorting office" and a refuse collection centre. An exemplary distribution hub is shown in plan view in Figure 5. It will be appreciated that the number and size of each element may be increased as required by the volume of goods to be handled.

Docking bay(s) (21) allow local delivery van(s) (22) to be loaded via rear andlor sides and/or above or to have container stacks loaded onto them and unloaded from them.

Larger docking bay(s) (23) allow containers and/or container stacks and pallets to be loaded onto and unloaded from the (typically larger) supplier truck(s) (24).

Loading/unloading area (25) is typically at the same height as the flat beds on the delivery vans (22) and allows staff to move individual containers and/or stacks of connected containers and/or container packs. Preferably the surface of this area is constructed with the same interconnection/sliding mechanism that is used on the containers. This allows for automated movement of containers by one or more hydraulic, electric or other actuators pushing them along orthogonal tracks such as the groove patterns discussed previously.

Preferably the vertical space above 25 is also utilised to store containers and/or container packs. Winches and racking above the load bed allow for several layers of container packs to be stored and accessed automatically. Hydraulic platforms similar to that shown in Figure 4, but scaled up, may be used to lift and position entire container packs.

Container transport area (26) consists of further grooved areas and actuators andlor conveyor belts or similar for moving containers across the hub. Optionally it may consist of several belts/surfaces, vertically stacked, allowing several containers to be moved at once. Preferably each such belt moves containers in the same direction (left to right or right to left) at any given time. Optionally, some levels of the movement system may be smaller than others and hence handle only containers up to a certain size. Thus a single belt may be used to move the large containers -not justifying one in each direction -yet this may be used to provide additional capacity during peak periods for smaller containers which it can also accommodate.

Above one or more layers of conveyor (26) containers holding bulk material e.g. dry pet food, washing powder etc. may be suspended. Automated valves and hoppers allow containers to be filled as they are held beneath the appropriate bulk container.

Weight sensors in the belt or track at this point or in the hanging mechanism can determine the weight of goods transferred and hence allow partial filling of containers as they are carried beneath the hoppers. This also allows for partial filling of containers e.g. "5kg of dog food please" or "pick-and-mix" options (e.g. 10% expensive dog treats, 90% cheaper bulk food).

Racking (27) holds containers sorted according to destination e.g. one slot per household in the delivery area. Each "slot" in the racking can accommodate several containers -up to the maximum total volume expected to be delivered to each property in, say, 98% of cases. Optionally said racking system is easily extensible with additional vertical layers being added as the number of properties served grows and the depth of each shelf within it being increased as the volume of goods sent to each property grows. Preferably, different properties e.g. small businesses, large families, may be accommodated by deeper sections as shown at the right-hand end (28). Whole containers destined for specific end addresses can be transported along conveyor belts (26) to the appropriate location within racking (27). Vertical gaps at regular intervals in the racking can hold shelves that move vertically with pushlpull units similar to that described on the delivery van (Figure 4). These move containers around within it according to the routing instructions from the overall control system.

In manual sorting/filling area (29), staff place items into containers in the racking for each address as required according to incoming goods -whether these arrived via standard containers through bays (21), (23) or from non standard containers e.g. mail sacks, trays of bread etc brought in via manual Goods In (30).

As containers are filled and/or when delivery is scheduled, containers are transported back to the loading bays where they are marshalled into appropriate loads for each delivery van or truck.

Containers arriving from delivery vans with contents for onward delivery are routed back to the sorting area. They may be automatically routed if the entire contents are to go to an address already entered by the sender against that container's id e.g. online before sealing it. Alternatively, the container may be opened and the contents manually sorted into other local endpoints' containers or on to the national delivery network. The other containers -which are either empty or contain waste material are routed to the refuse and recycling bays.

Some boxes may contain items from residents/businesses that are intended for specific destinations which may be co-located with the distribution point (e.g. a laundry service collecting boxes of dirty washing and sending them back next day, pressed and folded in e.g. 4x4x6 containers -or e.g. a single shirt in a 4x4x1. The use of airtight containers for laundry will be especially helpful in encouraging the take-up of washable nappies!) These are despatched via manual Goods Out (31).

As delivery vans return, each container marked or otherwise determined to be carrying waste or recyclable material is carried via belts (26), (35), (33) over one or more receptacles -such as open-topped shipping container sized "skips" (32) for waste and recycled material. If the container holds any of the class of material being collected in the receptacle it is over, it is inverted so as to drop that material in the appropriate receptacle. Small (e.g. 4x4x1) containers used for mail and newspapers are also used to return waste paper for recycling and hence are inverted and opened above the waste paper bay. Using the aforementioned divider system, several, typically four, categories of waste can be selectively emptied from, say, a 4x4x6 container into the appropriate receptacle by covering the top of the container in all areas bar one and inverting it. Then successively uncovering the remaining areas as the container passes over the other receptacles -typically glass, plastics, food waste and non-recyclable. Advantageously, each recycling bay holds a standard shipping container sized skip into which the material is dropped. Further advantageously, once the container is full, a shutter or doors can be drawn across such that further material (up to another skip's worth typically) can fall onto these and be held there until an empty skip arrives. As the iorry drives the full skip away and replaces it with an empty one, so the material falls into the new skip. Hence the continuous flow of containers from delivery van has not been interrupted, yet fresh skips need not be dispatched to the distribution hub until the previous one is entirely full. In a yet further refinement, said doors double as compression plates and can be rammed down (e.g. using hydraulic rams) to compress the contents of the skip. This is particularly valuable in the case of plastic waste -most of which is hollow bottles. Because food waste is collected daily, it is much less likely to cause smells. The daily collection also almost completely eliminates the problem of excessively heavy rubbish bins. As waste is collected in a D2 size container each day or two, it cannot possibly be as heavy as a traditional trash-can or wheelie-bin can be.

A further option, suitable particularly for smaller distribution centres is to have the waste receptacles themselves contain dividers allowing them to keep separate more than one category of waste. Further preferably these dividers can be moved so as to apportion the volume according to needs -ensuring that a full or more nearly full receptacle is driven away. Additionally, said dividers may be powered and act as compressors, reducing the volume of the waste in one or more partitions allowing further material to be added.

Empty containers are then inspected e.g. by automated odour detection; manual inspection; slight weight increase; optical image recognition or other triggers or a combination of these. Each container will be returned to the pool for immediate reuse, cleaned before subsequent reuse in automated or manual cleaning area (34) or routed via truck (24) to a refurbishment centre -typically not co-located with the local distribution hub.

Advantageously, docking bays may be designed to support both local delivery vans and suppliers' trucks. This typically requires a loading bed that can be raised or lowered to the appropriate height and access for pallet trucks/forklift trucks or direct connection of container packs onto delivery vans. The latter can be achieved by a hoist that can lower a container pack onto a van docked in the bay or by rails along which wheeled container packs can be pushed onto and off of vans.

Preferably, local distribution hubs are sited near to or, ideally, in direct contact with one or more sources of goods for distribution. For example, a hub could be located with one side open for loading/unloading bays and the other three sides joining onto the local postal sorting office, a supermarket and a newsagent. Containers could then be routed automatically on conveyor belts or similar to each of the three neighbouring facilities to be filled with post, daily papers and daily grocery shopping. This would dramatically increase the quality of life of all those within the distribution area. In addition to reducing the carbon footprint of the delivery services, the reusable containers allow many products to be delivered in bulk with no wasted packaging and the same day delivery option encourages people to buy no more than they need -hence reducing food wastage dramatically.

1) Delivery Point In some locales it is common practice to leave milk, post and/or newspapers unsecured on doorsteps or in post-boxes. However, it is generally preferable to avoid the dangers of thieves, animals and/or children taking or damaging these items. When the containers themselves have a non trivial value, it is more important that they are protected regardless of their contents. Some contents may also require controlled temperatures and hence protection from the weather.

Hence the system advantageously provides for security at the point of delivery. The simplest option is an exterior locking device to which a container can be latched -preferentially using the same mechanism by which containers latch to each other. In this way a set of containers latched to each other can also be held by this one fixed latch.

Advantageously the fixed latch is firmly staked to the ground or is clamped around or otherwise fixed to an existing stake such as a mailbox post, wall or the ground. The property's owner and the delivery van operators each have a means of unlocking the device so as to be able to add or remove containers. Said means could include but are not limited to any one or a combination of: physical key and lock, magnetic card reader, fingerprint detector, wireless, ultrasonic or infra-red transmitting key-fob (as used in cars). The latter is particularly useful as it allows the bearer to identify themselves when taking delivery away from their premises e.g. at the distribution hub.

Advantageously, the same key fob can be used to identif' their destination such that their purchases are automatically addressed to them and can make their own way home through the distribution system rather than have to be carried by the purchaser.

This will encourage the individual to travel by public transport rather than personal car as the former is much less convenient when laden down with bags and boxes.

Preferentially, such delivery posts will be positioned in the shade to avoid excessive heating of the contents of the containers. However, a preferred option is to have an enclosure into which the containers are placed -either added on to the exterior of the building and/or with a hole in the exterior wall of the building allowing containers to be placed inside. The interior of one or more kitchen cupboards and/or drawers may be designed to accommodate containers.

Preferentially the enclosure is accessible from the outside of the building -so the delivery van operator can deliver and retrieve containers -and from inside the building so the customer can retrieve containers without leaving the building. This forms a secure "air-lock" where the delivery van operator cannot access the building, only the enclosure, thus enhancing security further.

Advantageously, said delivery post/point includes electronics that may, for example, note the identity of the containers to which it is connected; communicate (typically wirelessly) with a device inside the house to advise the resident of a delivery; recognise signals from the resident's access mechanism e.g. key-fob, smartcard, fingerprint etc. allowing the lock to be released; communicate (e.g. via components within the house) to the central hub providing confirmation of successful delivery (removing the need for a signature in most cases and giving provable quality of service statistics). Solar panels on the post may provide some or all of the power for it. Alternatively, some proportion of containers may incorporate power sources that automatically charge the batteries on the post whenever they are connected to it. In this way the post can always be active whenever a container is connected or has recently been connected.

Where the "post" option is used, the electronics function may be split in any functional proportion between components at the post and those indoors.

Communication between delivery points may advantageously be achieved by use of a "mesh" network in which each delivery point and/or in-house system relays messages to and from other such delivery points. In a reasonably densely populated area this reduces the need to access the internet or other long distance transport such as cellular wireless. Only a proportion of points in the system need the longer range capability of such systems and hence the others can be cheaper and require less power.

Furthermore, such an enclosure -especially when built into or attached to the outside wall of a property -will typically have ready access to power allowing the optional inclusion of a refrigerating and/or heating element to provide controlled temperature and hence allowing the delivery of more temperature sensitive goods even if the owner is not able to transfer them to the refrigerator for several hours.

Advantageously, the system knows the contents of the containers and can turn the refrigeration/heater on only if necessary.

Advantageously the enclosure allows for several containers to be stored on top of each or alongside each other so that several may be delivered at once to a single locking point.

j) In-building Distribution System The delivery system lends itself well to an updated use of the 19th century "dumb waiter" goods elevator. This can be incorporated into any building at design time -or added to an existing building by taking over a small portion of an existing elevator shaft.

Where more than a few end-points are within a single building, it can be hugely advantageous to the delivery van operator -and a huge quality of life improvement for the tenant -to have deliveries automatically routed within the building. Ideally access to the system is direct from each property but in existing buildings is more likely to be restricted to delivery via the nearest elevator shaft requiring the user to access the system from shared space e.g. elevator lobby.

As the containers used for the vast majority of deliveries are less than half the depth of an elevator, it is possible to use a section of elevator shaft approximately two feet wide to provide a dumb-waiter style elevator capable of carrying a stack of containers, say up toim deep.

By positioning a series of shelves with runners behind this dumb waiter and including the same or similar piston/ram arm as previously described for sorting containers on delivery vans, the system can be loaded with a stack of containers (e.g. on the ground floor or basement) wherever the delivery van operator can gain easiest access to the elevator shaft.

Where many containers are to be delivered at once, the system may lift one batch - (typically as many as the delivery van operator can carry on his wheeled trolley) to the first available shelf and offload them allowing another batch to be loaded as soon as he has fetched them.

Advantageously, for large buildings, a loading dock similar to that at the local distribution hub is built directly onto the dumb-waiter lift shaft allowing containers to be pushed straight out of the van and into the shaft, filling the shelves on that floor directly.

Once loaded with all the new containers, the system sets about transporting each to empty shelf space on the floor it is destined for (or nearest available empty space if that floor's shelves are full).

Advantageously, one or more shelves are chilled whilst others are fully refrigerated allowing the delivery of frozen foods even when the recipient is not able to collect them for many hours or even days. Preferentially, said chilled or frozen areas are in the basement or other common area floors where no residents need the shelves directly. Advantageously the chilled shelves are directly above the fully refrigerated ones to improve energy efficiency.

Residents will be advised -typically via internet, SMS or other messaging service -that one or more containers is/are awaiting them. At their leisure, they can come to the elevator shaft containing the dumb waiter mechanism and on presentation of their authorisation (e.g. physical key, fingerprint, PIN code, magnetic card, wireless or infra-red fob etc.) the elevator mechanism will deliver their containers. They may then open these and remove the contents, leaving the container to be returned, or they may remove the container.

k) Operational Details As each item is individually tracked, it is easy to allow customers to specify "standing orders". These may be as simple as "Send 3 litres of milk every third day" or may be more flexible. For example, a user may wish to always have a certain brand of dry dog food available. When they empty the last food from the container they hold already and send it back the next morning, it may be refilled and automatically sent back to them on the next delivery a few hours later. Alternatively, since the delivery truck is in communication with the distribution centre, it may indicate that another container of said dog food is needed and this can be dispatched on the next delivery van for that route even though the empty container has not yet reached the distribution centre.

A variant on this ordering scheme allows the user to specify a minimum reorder quantity e.g. holding at least two full 6 litre containers of drinking water. The system can track which containers have been sent to an address and which have been returned hence sending replacements as needed.

The reuse of the container the customer has just returned will encourage users to take care of the containers and not to complain about the state of them as this will be largely down to the way they handle and clean them.

Advantageously, the system tracks which recipient is holding which container such that a deposit may be charged for each one they hold or a daily charge per container may be applied.

Although the construction of distribution centres and infrastructure requires long-term and significant capital investment, each needs to be run efficiently by a team -potentially of local residents. Operating companies should therefore be given relatively short-term (e.g. 3 year) contracts to run each centre -with residents voting to chose the next operator on the basis of a publicly visible tender response.

The marginal cost of carrying extra items -particularly within the local distribution area -will be low. Reusing rather than throwing away of used items can be encouraged by * Charging based on actual costs. This can be priced online for any given route, weight, container size and deadline for delivery.

* Free or reduced cost delivery to charity destinations or recycling points will encourage the return of a wide range of goods e.g. used batteries; shoes and clothes etc. for which bulk automated sorting is not economical.

* Customers may be charged a deposit for each container they hold; a fee for holding a container longer than they should; a flat daily rate per container held or many other schemes to ensure that containers are not hoarded but are returned promptly.

As each item and delivery van is tracked on its route, so the system can give users warning of when a delivery is due -to within a minute or two as the van approaches.

By advising them via text message, phone call, email or online, the user has the option to come to the door, authorise that the delivery be left on the doorstep or with a neighbour or ask that it be delivered on a subsequent occasion.

The travelling sandwich van can be replaced with online services offering meal deliveries subject to orders being received by a specified cut-off time.

The system encourages home working as many items can be transferred at marginal cost between businesses and their workers. Simple production lines can even be supported with raw materials being placed into the system and routed to each worker in turn to perform their assembly tasks before going on to the next. The automated weight and container tracking allows businesses confidence that work is progressing and is not being pilfered or lost.

In areas where a commercial laundry or nappy washing service does not operate, individuals working from home may offer to accept a certain volume/weight of laundry each day -indicating their availability to do ironing/washing on a daily basis via the internet. The price and turnaround times of their service can be shown to their potential customers via the internet and the quality of their service can be rated by their customers in much the same way that eBay buyers rate sellers today.

Students may even be able to put their dirty washing in a container to send home for washing and ironing even though they are studying at the opposite end of the country.

Alternatively, to reduce transport costs, willing parents may exchange or barter such services with those in other areas.

As delivery routes are more efficient, each van will cover a smaller number of properties than a postman does today. Hence the operators will get to know what is normal and what is not and will become known to the residents. They can perform valuable social services such as checking on the elderly daily; checking the security of houses where owners are away.

Residents can easily indicate to the system that they are on vacation or otherwise away from the property and have any deliveries held as the distribution hub until their return. This is not only more convenient than the current piecemeal system but also ensures no clues are left for burglars e.g. milk still on doorstep.

Residents can indicate via online, telephone, SMS, email or other means that they have a container (or several) to be collected -thus ensuring that the delivery van visits even if there is nothing on it to be delivered to them.

Operators could even offer pet feeding services as deliveries will probably be made more than once a day in urban areas.

Real-time visibility of routing and immediate, on-the-fly rescheduling as deliveries arrive, vans get delayed, customers request a pick-up etc. allow near optimal use of vans and other resources.

Claims (121)

1. CLAIMS1. A system for transporting a plurality of goods between a plurality of locations in which said goods are placed within andlor are formed into containers, at least two dimensions of which are integral multiples of a specified length.
2. 2. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers may be joined together.
3. 3. A system according to Claim 2 in which said joins may be in more than one dimension.
4. 4. A system according to Claim 2 in which said joins are achieved by interlocking profiles in or on the surface of said containers.
5. 5. A system according to Claim 2 in which said joins permit movement in one or two dimensions.
6. 6. A system according to Claim 5 in which said movement is optionally restricted in one or more dimensions.
7. 7. A system according to Claim 1 in which all three dimensions are integral multiples of a common length.
8. 8. A system according to Claim 1 in which the container is formed of multiple elements 9. A system according to Claim 8 in which one of said elements forms the basic structure of the container whilst one or more others provide optional cosmetic andlor functional purposes.10. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers include inlet(s) andlor outlet(s) for the insertion andlor removal of liquid, powdered or fine grain material.11. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers are thermally insulated.12. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers are actively heated or cooled.13. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers contain a power source andlor storage device.14. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate a position locating device.15. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers are uniquely identifiable.16. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some containers incorporate means of indicating one of several options.17. A system according to Claim 16 in which said means provides visual indication to a human.18. A system according to Claim 16 in which said means provides indication to a computerised system.19. A system according to Claim 1 in which the internal dimensions of said containers are also an integral multiple of said specified length.20. A system according to Claim 1 in which said specified length is an integer fraction of one or more pre.existing standardized transport containers.21. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers are designed for use in more than one orientation.22. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are designed to abut each other.23. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are designed to accommodate horizontal and/or vertical dividers between them.24. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers include openings allowing goods to be inserted or removed therefrom.25. A system according to Claim 24 in which said openings can be latched shut.26. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers include an asymmetry enabling visual and/or automated inspection to determine the orientation of the container.27. A system according to Claim 4 in which said interlocking profiles are in orthogonal patterns.28. A system according to Claim 4 in which said interlocking profiles allow non attaching contact or attachment according to the relative position of two such surfaces! 29. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are moved within outer containers consisting of at least one surface having the same or mating connection mechanism as the containers.30. A system according to Claim 1 in which containers are moved by coming into contact with a mechanised device.31. A system according to Claim 30 in which said device provides movement in more than one dimension.32. A system according to Claim 30 in which said device incorporates means of attaching to said containers allowing them to be pulled as well as pushed.33. A system according to Claim 4 in which said surface profiles contain additional functional components.34. A system according to Claim 33 in which said functional components provide and/or store and/or conduct electrical power.35. A system according to Claim 33 in which said functional components provide strengthening of the container.36. A system according to Claim 33 in which said functional components are sensors.37. A system according to Claim 33 in which said functional components are electronic components.38. A system according to Claim 4 in which said surface profiles are substantially trapezoidal in cross-sectional profile.39. A system according to Claim 4 in which bend radiuses of said surface profiles are increased above that required by the construction process.40. A system according to Claim 2 in which means of holding such joints in place are incorporated within the container and/or shelving or outer container.41. A system according to Claim 40 in which said means of holding joints in place are combinations of projecting elements and corresponding recesses.42. A system according to Claim 40 in which said means of holding joints in place are made of magnetic material.43. A system according to Claim 42 in which said means of holding joints in place aremoved by application of a magnetic field.44. A system according to Claim 43 in which said magnetic field is generated within the container or its contents.45. A system according to Claim 43 in which said magnetic field is generated by components outside the container.46. A system according to Claim 2 in which said means of connecting containers is dimensioned such that two faces, when joined, move together by a distance equal to the distance between mating or connecting elements of the connection mechanism.47. A system according to Claim I in which one or more contacting faces of said containers is constructed of or coated with a low friction material.48. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least a portion of one or more faces of said containers is constructed of, coated with or incorporates an electrical conductor..49. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate contactiess communications devices.50. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate security devices 51. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate movement and/or orientation sensors.52. A system according to Claim 40 in which said means of holding joints in place are inaccessible after a connection has been made.53. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers incorporate enhancements facilitating automated cleaning thereof.54. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers include internal dividers.55. A system according to Claim 55 in which said internal dividers are movable within the container.56. A system according to Claim 55 in which said internal dividers may be removed from the container.57. A system according to Claim 55 in which said internal dividers incorporate asymmetries allowing automated detection of their position and/or orientation.58. A system according to Claim 56 in which said internal dividers can be moved flush with one or more internal walls of the container.59. A system according to Claim 55 in which a single sub-division of said container is emptied at a time.60. A system according to Claim 59 in which said emptying is achieved via inversion of said container while the other, as yet un-emptied divisions are covered.61. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate photovoltaic or other power generating devices.62. A system according to Claim 61 in which said devices are mounted on at least one external face of said container.63. A system according to Claim 62 in which said devices are mounted within the container and deployed from it.64. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers incorporate wireless power acquisition devices.65. A system according to Claim 16 in which said means of identifying one of a plurality of options is interlocked with the means of closing the container such that the container cannot be closed unless a choice is selected from the available options.66. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers incorporate a removable panel or surface.67. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are transported within larger such containers.68. A system according to Claim 1 in which vehicles incorporating the connection mechanism into one or more faces of their load carrying area are used to transport said containers.69. A system according to Claim I in which vehicles transporting said containers also provide passenger accommodation.70. A system according to Claim 69 in which said passenger accommodation is at least partially formed from and/or accommodates the presence of said containers.71, A system according to Claim 68 in which said vehicles are primarily passenger carrying but are designed to also accommodate said containers.72. A system according to Claim 1 in which vehicles used to transport said containers are at least partially powered by power sources within or attached to said containers.73. A system according to Claim 1 in which vehicles used to transport said containers provide power to at least some of said containers.74. A system according to Claim 1 in which vehicles used to transport said containers include an automated handling mechanism capable of moving said containers within and/or on to or from said vehicle.75. A system according to Claim 74 in which said mechanism is separable from said vehicle.76. A system according to Claim 1 in which the loading and/or routing of deliveries and collections is optimized according to known and/or projected deliveries.77. A system according to Claim 76 in which said deliveries may also include transporting people.78. A system according to Claim 76 in which said optimization takes into account time of day.79. A system according to Claim 76 in which said optimization takes into account the following delivery schedule(s) so as to ensure fairness and/or optimize the trade-off between fuel, labour and other costs versus the convenience of having a rapid delivery capability.80. A system according to Claim I in which refuse and/or collection of recyclable material is combined with delivery of goods.81. A system according to Claim 1 in which goods for later delivery are collected during the same visit to a location as other goods are delivered.82. A system according to Claim 1 in which end users and/or suppliers have visibility of goods in transit and/or delivery schedules and/or availability of space for goods and/or passengers on the delivery vehicles.83. A system according to Claim 1 in which containers are tracked so as to determine which locations and hence users are holding which containers and for how long.84. A system according to Claim 1 in which containers include means of sensing that they are or are not in physical contact and/or acceptable proximity to at least one component of said system.85. A system according to Claim 84 in which sustained removal from said system triggers an action.86. A system according to Claim 85 in which said action is one or more of: * Charging of end user last known to have the container * Activating a tracking mechanism Activating an audible and/or visual alarm within the container and/or the system as a whole.87. A system according to Claim 1 in which containers are sorted and/or connected at least partially according to their destination and/or contents.88. A system according to Claim 1 in which vehicles used for transporting said containers are aligned with bays holding said containers allowing automated loading and unloading of said vehicles.89. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are automatically cleaned.90. A system according to Claim 89 in which said containers are inspected to determine whether or not they need to be cleaned.91. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are arranged according to their destination to facilitate filling of said containers with goods that are not yet held inside said containers.92. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers are at least partially filled by transporting them beneath one or more sources of material.93. A system according to Claim 92 in which the weight of the container is measured during filling and this controls the amount of material inserted.94. A system according to Claim 92 in which at least some of said containers are at least partially filled with more than one type of material.95. A system according to Claim 1 including one or more receptacles for waster and/or recyclable material.96. A system according to Claim 95 in which said receptacles are in the form of open-topped containers.97. A system according to Claim 95 in which said containers are internally divided allowing the segregation of multiple types of waste/recyclable material.98. A system according to Claim 97 in which said dividers are movable.99. A system according to Claim 95 in which the contents are compressed.100. A system according to Claim 95 in which said receptacles are movable.101. A system according to Claim 95 in which said receptacles are beneath a closable hatch or door mechanism.102. A system according to Claim I in which said containers are connected to a fixed object on delivery to their end or intermediate destination.103. A system according to Claim 102 in which said containers are released from said fixed object only on instruction from an authorised entity.104. A system according to Claim 103 where said instruction is issued by means of a radio, ultrasonic or infrared transmitter.105. A system according to Claim 103 where said instruction is given by means of biometric authentication of an individual.106. A system of Claim 1 in which the weight of containers is taken into account when determining where containers are placed and/or stacked.107. A system of Claim 1 in which the content and/or make-up of containers is taken into account when determining where containers are placed and/or stacked.108. A system of Claim 102 in which power is transferred between said container and said fixed object.109. A system of Claim 1 in which containers and/or other components of the system pass communications on from one to another -whether via physical conductors or via indirect communications paths which may include non contact methods.110. A system of Claim 1 in which receptacles and container handling mechanisms are dimensioned such that containers can only be inserted into them if they are correctly closed.111. A system of Claim 1 in which delivery to at least some premises is via an enclosure added onto or within the destination address.112. A system of Claim 111 in which access to said enclosure is available from outside said address.113. A system of Claim 111 in which access to said enclosure is available from within said address.114. A system of Claim 112 in which said access is controlled such that only authorised individuals andior equipment can insert or remove said containers.115. A system of Claim 113 in which said access is controlled such that only authorised individuals andlor equipment within the address can insert or remove said containers.116. A system of Claim 111 in which said enclosure is at least partially temperature controlled and/or contains areas of higher thermal insulation.117. A system of Claim 116 in which containers are positioned within said enclosure according to its thermal characteristics and/or those of the container and/or its contents.118. A system of Claim 111 in which said enclosure incorporates or is connected to further container handling and/or storage devices.119. A system of Claim 118 in which said enclosure incorporates means of delivering containers to specific destinations within said address.120. A system of Claim Ill in which said device forms part of an elevator shaft.121. A system of Claim 118 in which containers are moved to locations from which they can be more readily accessed when final delivery is requested.122. A system of Claim 118 in which containers are moved to shared locations providing specific environmental conditions while awaiting final delivery.123. A system, of Claim 122 in which said environmental conditions include temperature and/or humidity.124. A system, of Claim 122 in which said environmental conditions include light intensity.125. A system, of Claim 122 in which said environmental conditions include shielding for hazardous materials.126. A system of Claim 1 in which pricing is determined from precise knowledge and/or detailed estimation of the actual costs incurred in transporting said goods to said destination.127. A system of Claim 1 in which delivery schedules are continually reassessed and optimized on the fly even during a delivery round.128. A system of Claim 1 in which users are alerted to the arrival of items.129. A system of Claim 1 in which users indicate their desire or ability to accept items.130. A system of Claim I in which items may be removed from containers and placed into other containers en route to a common destination or intermediate way-point.AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN MADE AS FOLLOWS:CLAIMSI. A system for transporting a plurality of goods between a plurality of locations in which said goods are placed within and/or are formed into containers, at least two dimensions of which are integral multiples of a specified length and where said containers incorporate means for attachment to other such containers so as to allow multiple such containers to be joined together so that a set of such conjoined containers can be handled as would a single larger container.2. A system according to Claim I in which said joins may be in more than one dimension.3. A system according to Claim I in which said joins are achieved by interlocking profiles in or on the surface of said containers.4. A system according to Claim I in which said joins permit movement in one or two dimensions.5. A system according to Claim 4 in which said movement is optionally restricted in one or more dimensions.6. A system according to Claim 1 in which the container is formed of multiple elements 7. A system according to Claim 6 in which one of said elements forms the basic structure of the container whilst one or more others provide optional cosmetic and/or functional purposes.8. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers include inlet(s) and/or outlet(s) for the insertion and/or removal of liquid, powdered or * fine grain material.
9. 9. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers are thermally insulated.
10. 10. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers are *.S. : actively heated or cooled.
11. 11. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers contain a power source and/or storage device.
12. 12. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate a position locating device.
13. 13. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers are uniquely identifiable.
14. 14. A system according to Claim I in which at least some containers incorporate means of indicating one of several options.:..
15. 15. A system according to Claim 14 in which said means provides visual indication to * a human.
16. 16. A system according to Claim 14 in which said means provides indication to a computerised system.
17. 17. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers are designed for use in more than one orientation.
18. 18. A system according to Claim I in which said containers are designed to accommodate horizontal and/or vertical dividers between them.
19. 19. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers include an asymmetry enabling visual and/or automated inspection to determine the orientation of the container.
20. 20. A system according to Claim 3 in which said interlocking profiles are in orthogonal patterns.
21. 21. A system according to Claim 3 in which said interlocking profiles allow non attaching contact or attachment according to the relative position of two such surfaces!
22. 22. A system according to Claim I in which said containers are moved within outer containers consisting of at least one surface having the same or mating connection mechanism as the containers.
23. 23. A system according to Claim I in which containers are moved by coming into contact with a mechanised device.
24. 24. A system according to Claim 23 in which said device provides movement in more than one dimension.
25. 25. A system according to Claim 23 in which said device incorporates means of attaching to said containers allowing them to be pulled as well as pushed.
26. 26. A system according to Claim 3 in which said surface profiles contain additional functional components.
27. 27. A system according to Claim 26 in which said functional components provide andlor store and/or conduct electrical power.
28. 28. A system according to Claim 26 in which said functional components provide strengthening of the container.
29. 29. A system according to Claim 26 in which said functional components are sensors.
30. 30. A system according to Claim 26 in which said functional components are electronic components.
31. 31. A system according to Claim 3 in which said surface profiles are substantially trapezoidal in cross-sectional profile.
32. 32. A system according to Claim 3 in which bend radiuses of said surface profiles are increased above that required by the construction process... :
33. 33. A system according to Claim 1 in which means of holding such joints in place are incorporated within the container and/or shelving or outer container.
34. 34. A system according to Claim 33 in which said means of holding joints in place are combinations of projecting elements and corresponding recesses....
35. 35. A system according to Claim 33 in which said means of holding joints in place are made of magnetic material.
36. 36. A system according to Claim 35 in which said means of holding joints in place are*....: moved by application of a magnetic field.
37. 37. A system according to Claim 36 in which said magnetic field is generated within * the container or its contents.
38. 38. A system according to Claim 36 in which said magnetic field is generated by components outside the container.
39. 39. A system according to Claim 1 in which said means of connecting containers is dimensioned such that two faces, when joined, move together by a distance equal to the distance between mating or connecting elements of the connection mechanism.
40. 40. A system according to Claim 1 in which one or more contacting faces of said containers is constructed of or coated with a low friction material.
41. 41. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least a portion of one or more faces of said containers is constructed of, coated with or incorporates an electrical conductor.
42. 42. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate contactless communications devices.
43. 43. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers incorporate security devices
44. 44. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers incorporate movement andlor orientation sensors.
45. 45. A system according to Claim 33 in which said means of holding joints in place are inaccessible after a connection has been made.
46. 46. A system according to Claim I in which said containers incorporate enhancements facilitating automated cleaning thereof.
47. 47. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers include internal dividers.
48. 48. A system according to Claim 47 in which said internal dividers are movable within the container.
49. 49. A system according to Claim 47 in which said internal dividers may be removed from the container.
50. 50. A system according to Claim 47 in which said internal dividers incorporate asymmetries allowing automated detection of their position and/or orientation.
51. 51. A system according to Claim 48 in which said internal dividers can be moved flush with one or more internal walls of the container.
52. 52. A system according to Claim 47 in which a single sub-division of said container is emptied at a time.
53. 53. A system according to Claim 52 in which said emptying is achieved via inversion of said container while the other, as yet un-emptied divisions are covered.
54. 54. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers incorporate photovoltaic or other power generating devices.
55. 55. A system according to Claim 54 in which said devices are mounted on at least one : external face of said container.*,
56. 56. A system according to Claim 54 in which said devices are mounted within the container and deployed from it.
57. 57. A system according to Claim I in which at least some of said containers incorporate wireless power acquisition devices.
58. 58. A system according to Claim 14 in which said means of identifying one of a plurality of options is interlocked with the means of closing the container such that the container cannot be closed unless a choice is selected from the available *..* * . options.:. .
59. 59. A system according to Claim i in which said containers incorporate a removable * panel or surface.
60. 60. A system according to Claim I in which said containers are transported within larger such containers.
61. 61. A system according to Claim 1 in which vehicles incorporating the connection mechanism into one or more faces of their load carrying area are used to transport said containers.
62. 62. A system according to Claim I in which vehicles transporting said containers also provide passenger accommodation.
63. 63. A system according to Claim 62 in which said passenger accommodation is at least partially formed from and/or accommodates the presence of said containers.
64. 64. A system according to Claim 61 in which said vehicles are primarily passenger carrying but are designed to also accommodate said containers.
65. 65. A system according to Claim 1 in which vehicles used to transport said containers are at least partially powered by power sources within or attached to said containers.
66. 66. A system according to Claim I in which vehicles used to transport said containers provide power to at least some of said containers.
67. 67. A system according to Claim I in which vehicles used to transport said containers include an automated handling mechanism capable of moving said containers within and/or on to or from said vehicle.
68. 68. A system according to Claim 67 in which said mechanism is separable from said vehicle.
69. 69. A system according to Claim I in which the loading and/or routing of deliveries and collections is optimized according to known and/or projected deliveries.
70. 70. A system according to Claim 69 in which said deliveries may also include transporting people.
71. 71. A system according to Claim 69 in which said optimization takes into account time of day.
72. 72. A system according to Claim 69 in which said optimization takes into account the following delivery schedule(s) so as to ensure fairness and/or optimize the trade-off between fuel, labour and other costs versus the convenience of having a rapid delivery capability.
73. 73. A system according to Claim 1 in which refuse and/or collection of recyclable material is combined with delivery of goods.
74. 74. A system according to Claim 1 in which goods for later delivery are collected during the same visit to a location as other goods are delivered.
75. 75. A system according to Claim 1 in which end users and/or suppliers have visibility .. : of goods in transit and/or delivery schedules and/or availability of space for goods and/or passengers on the delivery vehicles.
76. 76. A system according to Claim I in which containers are tracked so as to determine which locations and hence users are holding which containers and for how long. ...
77. 77. A system according to Claim 1 in which containers include means of sensing that they are or are not in physical contact and/or acceptable proximity to at least one component of said system.
78. 78. A system according to Claim 77 in which sustained removal from said system triggers an action.
79. 79. A system according to Claim 78 in which said action is one or more of: * Charging of end user last known to have the container * Activating a tracking mechanism * Activating an audible and/or visual alarm within the container and/or the system as a whole.
80. 80. A system according to Claim I in which containers are sorted and/or connected at least partially according to their destination and/or contents.
81. 81. A system according to Claim I in which vehicles used for transporting said containers are aligned with bays holding said containers allowing automated loading and unloading of said vehicles.
82. 82. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are automatically cleaned.
83. 83. A system according to Claim 82 in which said containers are inspected to determine whether or not they need to be cleaned.
84. 84. A system according to Claim 1 in which said containers are arranged according to their destination to facilitate filling of said containers with goods that are not yet held inside said containers.
85. 85. A system according to Claim 1 in which at least some of said containers are at least partially filled by transporting them beneath one or more sources of material.
86. 86. A system according to Claim 85 in which the weight of the container is measured during filling and this controls the amount of material inserted.
87. 87. A system according to Claim 85 in which at least some of said containers are at least partially filled with more than one type of material.
88. 88. A system according to Claim 1 including one or more receptacles for waste andlor recyclable material.
89. 89. A system according to Claim 88 in which said receptacles are in the form of open-topped containers.
90. 90. A system according to Claim 88 in which the contents are compressed.
91. 91. A system according to Claim 88 in which said receptacles are movable.
92. 92. A system according to Claim 88 in which said receptacles are beneath a closable hatch or door mechanism.
93. 93. A system according to Claim I in which said containers are connected to a fixed object on delivery to their end or intermediate destination.
94. 94. A system according to Claim 93 in which said containers are released from said fixed object only on instruction from an authorised entity.
95. 95. A system according to Claim 94 where said instruction is issued by means of a radio, ultrasonic or infrared transmitter.
96. 96. A system according to Claim 94 where said instruction is given by means of biometric authentication of an individual.
97. 97. A system of Claim 1 in which the weight of containers is taken into account when determining where containers are placed and/or stacked.
98. 98. A system of Claim I in which the content and/or make-up of containers is taken into account when determining where containers are placed and/or stacked. e..
99. 99. A system of Claim 93 in which power is transferred between said container and said fixed object.
100. 100. A system of Claim I in which containers and/or other components of the system pass communications on from one to another -whether via physical :-conductors or via indirect communications paths which may include non contact methods.*
101. 101. A system of Claim I in which receptacles and container handling mechanisms are dimensioned such that containers can only be inserted into them if they are correctly closed.
102. 102. A system of Claim 1 in which delivery to at least some premises is via an enclosure added onto or within the destination address.
103. 103. A system of Claim 102 in which access to said enclosure is available from outside said address.
104. 104. A system of Claim 102 in which access to said enclosure is available from within said address.
105. 105. A system of Claim 103 in which said access is controlled such that only authorised individuals and/or equipment can insert or remove said containers.
106. 106. A system of Claim 104 in which said access is controlled such that only authorised individuals and/or equipment within the address can insert or remove said containers.
107. 107. A system of Claim 102 in which said enclosure is at least partially temperature controlled and/or contains areas of higher thermal insulation.
108. 108. A system of Claim 107 in which containers are positioned within said enclosure according to its thermal characteristics and/or those of the container and/or its contents.
109. 109. A system of Claim 102 in which said enclosure incorporates or is connected to further container handling and/or storage devices.
110. 110. A system of Claim 109 in which said enclosure incorporates means of delivering containers to specific destinations within said address.
111. 111. A system of Claim 102 in which said device forms part of an elevator shaft.
112. 112. A system of Claim 109 in which containers are moved to locations from which they can be more readily accessed when final delivery is requested.
113. 113. A system of Claim 109 in which containers are moved to shared locations providing specific environmental conditions while awaiting final delivery.
114. 114. A system, of Claim 113 in which said environmental conditions include temperature and/or humidity.
115. 115. A system, of Claim 113 in which said environmental conditions include light intensity.
116. 116. A system, of Claim 113 in which said environmental conditions include shielding for hazardous materials.
117. 117. A system of Claim 1 in which pricing is determined from precise knowledge and/or detailed estimation of the actual costs incurred in transporting said goods to said destination.
118. 118. A system of Claim 1 in which delivery schedules are continually reassessed and optimized on the fly even during a delivery round.*,
119. 119. A system of Claim 1 in which users are alerted to the arrival of items.
120. 120. A system of Claim 1 in which users indicate their desire or ability to accept items. ...
121. 121. A system of Claim 1 in which items may be removed from containers and placed into other containers en route to a common destination or intermediate way-point.. ,... *. S. * S iS S