Prior-art technology is described in Finnish utility model specification FI-U-4730 (B65D 91/00). This utility model concerns a receptacle designed for use in households for unmanned reception of goods deliv- ered, especially daily consumer goods, as well as for their temporary storage and return. This receptacle comprises a weatherproof outer casing and an interior space divided into compartments as well as a heat transfer mechanism that makes it possible to provide different storage temperatures in different compart- ments. In addition, the aforesaid receptacle comprises a control unit that controls and monitors the opera- tion of the receptacle. The control unit is provided with a communication link, over which the aforesaid control unit can receive control commands issued from outside and/or send reports about the condition of the receptacle to an outside party. In addition, this com- munication link allows remote control of the control unit and receptacle by telephone or computer.

The receptacle according to this solution for unmanned reception of daily consumer goods comprises no provi- sion for controlling the transportation of the ordered and delivered goods from the receptacle directly to the customer, which always creates a certain delay in the goods delivery logistics chain. This delay arises from the fact that the aforesaid receptacle does not communicate in any way with any sort of transport sys- tem or with a data system controlling one. Therefore, the customer does not necessarily know when the goods

have arrived in the receptacle. Thus, the customer in the building has to go personally and see if the or- dered goods have been received in the receptacle.

Similarly, the aforesaid customer has to go personally and fetch the ordered goods from the aforesaid recep- tacle, and this may require a laborious effort on the part of e. g. an aged customer. Besides, the solution described in this specification comprises no method that would allow effective utilization of the various possibilities afforded by electrical commerce.

In other words, the problem with the above-mentioned solution is that the customer having ordered some goods has no connection with the delivery of said goods nor with the aforesaid receptacle, which is why a delay necessarily occurs in the goods delivery lo- gistics chain as the customer does not know of the ar- rival of the goods ordered. The customer also has to go personally and get the ordered goods from the aforesaid receptacle.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the draw- backs of the prior-art solutions mentioned above.

The present invention relates to an elevator car de- veloped for goods deliveries in electrical commerce, which is provided with an intelligent set of goods transport cases, preferably built in conjunction with the elevator car. This aforesaid arrangement compris- ing an intelligent set of goods transport cases and an elevator car is used for both passenger transport and goods transport.

In more precise terms, the elevator car of the inven- tion comprising an intelligent set of goods transport cases is characterized by what is presented in the characterization part of claim 1. The method of the

invention is characterized by what is presented in the characterization part of claim 13. The features char- acteristic of certain preferred embodiments of the in- vention are as presented in the sub-claims.

As compared with prior art, the solution of the inven- tion provides several significant advantages. The so- lution of the invention allows substantial minimiza- tion of the logistics gap between an order placed by a customer in a given building via electrical commerce and the receipt of the ordered goods by the customer as compared with prior-art solutions. A very signifi- cant advantage achieved by the present invention is that a customer in a building can have the goods he has ordered via electrical commerce delivered at the desired floor as soon as the aforesaid goods have ar- rived in the building. Thus, the customer will not have to fetch the ordered goods himself from the prin- cipal or entrance floor of the building. In addition, the customer is informed about the arrival of the goods by the elevator system or the deliverer of the goods so that he can be present at the right time to receive the goods he has ordered.

Thus, a significant advantage is achieved when daily consumer goods are ordered via electrical commerce be- cause faster delivery of the goods allows the customer to receive them in a fresher condition.

In a preferred case, the elevator car comprising an intelligent set of goods transport cases is given ei- ther passenger transport calls or goods transport calls. To allow the aforesaid passenger transport calls to be issued, each floor is provided with appro- priate passenger transport call means, and similarly with goods transport call means for goods transport calls.

In the following, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 visualizes a situation in electrical commerce, Fig. 2 A presents an elevator car according to the best embodiment of the invention, which comprises an intelligent set of goods transport cases disposed be- low the elevator car, Fig. 2 B presents an elevator car according to another embodiment, in which an intelligent set of goods transport cases is disposed above the elevator car, Fig. 2 C presents an elevator car according to a third embodiment, in which an intelligent set of goods transport cases is provided both above and below the elevator car, Fig. 2 D presents an elevator car according to the best embodiment of the invention, which, in addition to an intelligent set of goods transport cases dis- posed below the elevator car, also comprises sets of goods transport cases disposed on either side of the elevator car, Fig. 3 presents an elevator car comprising an intelli- gent set of goods transport cases according to the in- vention in a situation where the car has stopped at a receiving floor, Fig. 4 presents a lateral view of an elevator car com- prising an intelligent set of goods transport cases according to the invention, the car having stopped at

a receiving floor to allow ordered goods to be loaded or received.

Fig. 1 visualizes a situation in electrical commerce where an elevator car 1 comprising an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 according to the invention is utilized for the reception of ordered goods and their transportation to the home door.

Via a communication link for electrical commerce, a customer 10 in a residential or office building can easily order desired goods from a shop 20 as a so- called"home-door delivery"under control of the data system 80 of an elevator, the aforesaid home door be- ing regarded in the present case of the present inven- tion as consisting of the elevator door at the cus- tomer's home floor. After the aforesaid customer 10 has placed an order for desired goods in the shop 20 by electric means via a communication link 40, e. g. over the Internet, the shop 20 receives the order and sends a deliverer 30 to transport the ordered goods to the destination address at an agreed time. This afore- said order can be made via the aforesaid communication link 40 over a wireless or a wired communication net- work. Next, the shop 20 sends the customer 10 a con- firmation of the order received via the aforesaid com- munication link 40, confirming receipt of the order and giving an estimated time of arrival of the goods at the customer's 10 door.

The deliverer 30 used by the shop 20 has a wireless connection 50 with the shop 20 and a wireless connec- tion 60 with the data system 80 of the elevator at the destination as well as a wireless connection 70 with the customer.

When the deliverer 30 of the goods is loading the ele- vator car 1 according to the present invention, the data system 80 of the elevator receives information regarding the ordered goods being loaded. The customer is informed about the loading and the arrival of the ordered goods, this information being sent either via the data system 80 of the elevator over a connection 90 specifically provided for this purpose or directly using the connection 70 of the deliverer responsible for distribution.

Thus, the customer 10 having ordered the goods will receive the ordered goods at a desired time directly at the destination so that the logistics gap between the order placed via electrical commerce and the arri- val of the ordered goods at the home door is mini- mized.

Fig. 2A presents an elevator car 1 according to the best embodiment of the invention, in which an intelli- gent set of goods transport cases 2 with partitions 3 is placed on the top of the elevator car 1. This ar- rangement according to the invention allows automatic reception of goods ordered by electrical commerce.

According to this preferred embodiment, an elevator car 1 comprised in the elevator system of the building [comprises means for] automatic reception of goods or- dered by electrical commerce and for delivery to the customer. This aforesaid elevator car 1 is provided with an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2, which makes it possible to transport the ordered goods to the desired floor under control of the data system 80 of the elevator after the goods have arrived at the destination and been loaded in the set of goods trans- port cases 2 of the elevator car 1 at the destination address. The aforesaid set of goods transport cases 2

may also function as a place of intermediate storage of the ordered goods if the customer 10 is not present at the time of delivery or is otherwise temporarily unable to receive the goods he has ordered. In this case, when the customer 10 has returned home and/or is ready to receive the ordered goods, he will be in- formed of the arrival of the goods by the aforesaid data system 80 of the elevator.

Fig. 2 B presents another elevator car 1 according to the invention, in which an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 provided with partitions 3 is placed above the elevator car 1.

Fig. 2 C presents a third elevator car 1 according to the invention, having sets of goods transport cases 2 with partitions 3 both above and below the elevator car 1.

In addition to the embodiments presented in the above figures 2A-2C, it is possible to provide a set of goods transport cases 2 with partitions 3 inside the elevator car 1. Therefore, it is also possible to use an arrangement where sets of goods transport cases 2 with partitions 3 are provided above and below the elevator car 1 as well as inside the car. Fig. 2 D presents an embodiment in which the aforesaid set of goods transport cases 2 with partitions 3 is placed below the elevator car 1 and an additional set of goods transport cases 2 with partitions 3 is provided on either side of the elevator car.

Fig. 3 presents a front view of an elevator car 1 com- prising an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 according to the invention in a situation where the car has stopped at a receiving destination floor so as to allow the ordered goods to be received. The afore-

said elevator car 1 comprising an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 has now stopped at a given floor to allow the ordered goods to be received while the doors 4 of the elevator car 1 remain closed. The closing of the doors 4 of the elevator car 1 is de- tected by an elevator safety circuit, which also de- tects the closing of the set of goods transport cases 2 and its partitions 3. Due to the action of this aforesaid elevator safety circuit, the elevator car 1 is only able to move when the elevator safety circuit has established that the doors 4 of the elevator car and the set of goods transport cases 2 and its parti- tions 3 are closed.

The elevator car 1 comprising an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 can be given either passenger transport calls or goods transport calls. To allow an aforesaid goods transport call to be issued, each floor is provided with goods transport call means 6 serving this purpose. Similarly, each floor is also provided with separate passenger transport call means 5 for the entry of passenger transport calls.

The aforesaid passenger transport calls and the afore- said goods transport calls are so prioritized that a passenger transport call is always served before a goods transport call. Thus, passenger transport calls are always executed before goods transport calls. On the other hand, when a goods transport call is being issued, it is not possible to issue a passenger trans- port call.

The intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 is preferably provided with partitions 3 so that each in- habitant living in the residential building has a separate apartment-specific partition 3. A partition 3 as mentioned above may also be assigned for a particu-

lar person, so that it is provided with a specific identification means, which is used by both the afore- said customer 10 and the aforesaid deliverer 30 of the goods. In this case, the most preferable embodiment is one in which the intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 comprising the aforesaid partitions 3 is dis- posed in connection with the elevator car 1.

For example, in a tall building comprising many floors, it is preferable to provide an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 with partitions 3 both above and below the elevator car 1. In this case, the set of goods transport cases 2 above the car would serve inhabitants living on the higher floors and the set of goods transport cases 2 below the car would serve inhabitants living on the lower floors. In a building with large floors comprising many apartments, there are elevators provided with a group control sys- tem. In this case, the group control system has to know which one of the elevators carries the intelli- gent goods mail boxes 2 serving each floor and each apartment on that floor and the partitions 3 corre- sponding to each apartment, and it has to be capable of flexibly controlling the operation of the aforesaid intelligent sets 2 of goods transport cases. Further, one of the elevators comprised in the elevator system of a tall building may be completely equipped with sets 2 of goods transport cases above and below the elevator car 1 as well as sets 2 of goods transport cases placed inside the elevator car.

According to a second embodiment, the partitions 3 in the aforesaid intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 can also be so implemented that they have different storage temperatures for products requiring different storage temperatures. Such an implementation is par- ticularly applicable when the aforesaid set of goods

transport cases 2 is to be used for the transportation and delivery of large amounts of daily consumer goods, such as foodstuffs.

On the basis of the above description, each partition 3 in the aforesaid intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 is provided with an identifier 8, indicating either the name of the apartment holder or the name of the apartment or the name of the inhabitant or alter- natively the storage temperature of the cases.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of an elevator car 1 compris- ing an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 ac- cording to the invention in a situation where the car has stopped in an elevator shaft 12 at a receiving floor to allow ordered goods to be received or loaded.

A barrier 7 preventing access to the elevator shaft 12 is down and the elevator car 1 remains stationary. A corresponding situation occurs when the deliverer 30 of the goods is bringing the ordered goods and loading them in the aforesaid intelligent set of goods trans- port cases 2 and when the customer 10 is receiving the ordered goods at the floor in question.

The aforesaid elevator car 1 comprising an intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 is in a situation as illustrated in Fig. 4, where ordered goods are being delivered or received. The aforesaid intelligent set of goods transport cases 2 comprises a kind of goods receptacles 9 for easier unloading and reception of the goods. The aforesaid goods receptacles 9 are pro- vided with moving means 11 designed to facilitate their movement in connection with the delivery and re- ceipt of goods. The aforesaid goods receptacles 9 be- long either to the aforesaid customer 10 having or- dered goods or to the deliverer 30 of the goods. If these goods receptacles 9 belong to the deliverer 30,

then the deliverer 30 may take empty goods receptacles 9 away with him when delivering ordered goods. These aforesaid goods receptacles 9 may also preferably be recyclable e. g. in connection with cardboard recy- cling. This recyclability of the goods receptacles 9 renders them more environmentally friendly.

When the ordered goods are being loaded or received, the person carrying out this particular operation in the delivery chain has the authority to access the in- telligent set of goods transport cases 2 and/or parti- tion 3 and/or partitions 3 in question. The aforesaid authority can be implemented in different ways. An authority giving a right of access can be provided ei- ther by electrical and/or wireless and/or mechanical means. Preferably an authority giving a right of ac- cess to this aforesaid intelligent set of goods trans- port cases 2 and its partitions 3 can be provided by the use of a goods-specific and/or delivery-specific password.

At the beginning of the loading operation, the eleva- tor car 1 is given a goods transport call, and when this call is registered, it will not be possible to execute passenger traffic with the aforesaid elevator car 1 or to register a passenger transport call for it. Registering a passenger transport call is only possible after the goods transport call has been exe- cuted and the goods received.

In the foregoing, the invention has been described by way of example with reference to the attached drawing while different embodiments of the invention are pos- sible within the inventive idea defined in the claims.