Software

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Home	Problem Definition	Opening	Scenarios
Planning and Milestones	Background Research	Chimney	Rules & Regulations
Meetings	Requirements	Chimney to Cubby
Design Method(s)	Brainstorm	Cubby to Person
Personal Logs	Concepts Chosen	Software
Peer Review & Reflection		Whole System

Software Requirements

There are several tasks this system needs to do which requires software to comprehend data and store and upkeep information:

• Keep track of which cubbies are empty/full
• Designate a new package to an empty cubby
• Notify customer of package arrival
• Identify between Drone RFID & Tote RFID
• Keep track of multiple drones in queue
• Notify if package has been in system for more than 3 days
• Allow postman to input packages in the non-drone cubbies
• Report full, malfunction, etc.
• Open correct cubby after user inputs code
• Would have to be connected to the service provider to

This software will basically hold all the information that is needed to make the system run and maintain.

Existing Software

There exist already several types of software packages that address some of the requirements above.

For example, the V-Locker system makes use of a range of software that allows centralized and remote management, which would also be ideal for our case. It is a type of interconnected locker network. For now, however, we focus on the individual package pick-up location software.

V-locker Technical Aspects

The V-Control module is specific software that runs at each individual locker location. V-Control manages the individual lockers and connects back to the Central package delivery client to keep track of transactions and deliveries. It makes use of an SQL Server database for each specific locker location. Also with V-locker, third party clients using the system can implement Application Programming Interfaces (API)s of various locker functions in their own software for their purposes.

The technical aspects of the locker terminals are shown in the thumbnail on the left. One can see that the locker functions are all programmable via certain basic microsoft software and then can be connected to larger servers depending on the companies size.

This V-locker system software already addresses - notifying the customer of package arrival, keeping track of full and empty cubbies, postman package allocation, and opening of the correct cubby given the correct code. The SQL server databases primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications. The V-locker software most likely keeps track of the cubbies being full and empty, notifying etc. (specific details could not be found). The server could then also store RFID codes of the drones in a queue and the RFID codes of the packages and given locations.

This leads to the question: what kind of software is required to retrieve information from and give to the server and how does that need to function in regards to package designation?

The Amazon Locker System: Uses code to unlock cubby.... <http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201530900>