System and method for identifying and co-ordinating an alternate delivery of one or more selected items

• US 10,043,148 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Formula Labs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Formula Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Chowdhary, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US13/797,555
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 705 33 X, 705401
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method is disclosed for optimizing an order for a product for delivery. The method includes receiving an order for a product from a first requestor, the order identifying a delivery timeframe. The method also includes identifying an undelivered shipment of the product associated with an existing order of a second party. The method further includes transmitting a request to reroute the undelivered shipment of the product to the first requestor within the delivery timeframe. The method still further includes processing the order for the product. The processing includes arranging delivery of the product to the second party. Systems and apparatus are also disclosed to implement the disclosed methods.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating the delivery of an e-commerce order on a computerized processing system comprising one or more computers, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, at the one or more computers from a first requestor device, a request associated with a first requestor, to identify one or more alternate delivery options for a first existing order from an e-commerce first vendor computer system, the first order including at least a first product;

(b) receiving, at the one or more computers from the first vendor computer system, order information relating to the first existing order, the order information including product information and recipient information including a recipient address;

(c) accessing, using the one or more computers, one or more electronic databases stored on one or more computer-readable storage media and operatively connected to the one or more computers, the databases comprising order information for a plurality of respective orders including for one or more respective orders;

(i) order identification information identifying the respective orders;

(ii) product information identifying one or more ordered products associated with the respective orders, wherein at least some of the product information was mapped by the one or more computers using a mapping engine to translate the product information into a common format with universal identifiers for each ordered product;

(iii) shipping information identifying one or more shipping companies, delivery timeframes, delivery costs, and current shipment locations associated with the respective orders;

(iv) package tracking information identifying one or more package statuses, including package locations, associated with delivery of the respective orders; and

(v) recipient information identifying one or more recipient addresses associated with the respective orders;

wherein at least some of the order information for the plurality of respective orders stored in the one or more electronic databases was obtained by automatically identifying and extracting the at least some of the order information from email software located on at least one remote server of a second vendor computer system, which is operatively connected to the computerized processing system;

(d) updating, by the one or more computers, the data in the databases with the order information associated with the received request;

(e) determining, by the one or more computers using data in the one or more electronic databases, one or more undelivered in-transit orders including a second product matching the first product;

(f) determining, by the one or more computers, one or more options to reroute at least one of the determined undelivered in-transit orders to the recipient address associated with the first existing order based at least in part on the received request from the first requestor device and at least the following factors;

(i) delivery timeframes;

(ii) cost information associated with each fulfillment option;

(iii) respective locations of the undelivered in-transit orders; and

(iv) an address associated with the first requestor; and

(g) providing, from the one or more computers to the first requestor device via an electronic interface, at least one of the one or more options to reroute;

(h) obtaining, at the one or more computers from the first requestor device via the electronic interface, a first selection of one of the provided one or more options to reroute;

(i) generating, by the one or more computers, machine-readable routing instructions to reroute the first undelivered in-transit order to the address associated with the first requestor; and

(j) transmitting via electronic communication, from the one or more computers to a shipping computer system associated with the first undelivered in-transit order, the machine-readable routing instructions;

wherein the computerized processing system interacts via electronic communications with a plurality of shipping computer systems and vendor computer systems to maintain up-to-date information for the plurality of respective orders and to reroute undelivered orders to facilitate alternate delivery of e-commerce orders.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first selection of one of the provided one or more options comprises obtaining a manual selection via the electronic interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first selection of one of the provided one or more options comprises obtaining an automatic selection based at least in part on pre-existing preferences associated with the first requestor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) transmitting, from the one or more computers to a vendor, a request to order one or more products, associated with the first undelivered in-transit order, to be delivered to an address associated with the first selection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) transmitting, from the one or more computers to a second shipping company associated with the first existing order, a request to reroute the first existing order to a second address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second address is associated with the first selection.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second shipping company is different from the first shipping company.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second shipping company is the same as the first shipping company.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) transmitting, from the one or more computers to a vendor associated with the first existing order, a request to cancel the first existing order.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) transmitting, from the one or more computers to a vendor associated with the first existing order, a request to modify at least the recipient information associated with the first existing order.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) obtaining, at the one or more computers, one or more authorizations to reroute the first undelivered in-transit order associated with the first selection.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) obtaining, at the one or more computers, package tracking information for the first undelivered in-transit order.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) charging, using one or more of the computers, a fee to at least one party selected from the group consisting of a customer, a vendor, and a shipping company associated with the first existing order or the first selection.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(k) updating, by the one or more computers, the data in the databases with the information associated with the first selection;

(l) determining, by the one or more computers using data from the databases, a second set of one or more undelivered orders including at least a product matching the second product;

(m) determining, by the one or more computers, a second set of one or more options to direct at least one of the second set of undelivered orders identified in step (l) to a second address, wherein the second address is associated with the first undelivered in-transit order; and

(n) providing, from the one or more computers to a device associated with the first undelivered in-transit order, at least one of the second set of options identified in step (m).

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the information for the plurality of respective orders stored in the one or more electronic databases was obtained via electronic communication with one or more vendor computer systems.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the information for the plurality of respective orders stored in the one or more electronic databases was obtained via electronic communication with one or more shipping computer systems.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the information for the plurality of respective orders stored in the one or more electronic databases was obtained via electronic communication with one or more consumer electronic devices associated with consumers.

18. A system for coordinating the delivery of an e-commerce order comprising:

(a) one or more electronic databases stored on one or more computer-readable storage media, the databases comprising information for a plurality of orders including for each respective order;

(i) order identification information identifying the respective orders;

(ii) product information identifying one or more products associated with the respective orders, wherein at least some of the product information was mapped by one or more computers using a mapping engine to translate the product information into a common format with universal identifiers for each ordered product;

(iii) shipping information identifying one or more shipping companies, delivery timeframes, delivery costs, and current shipment locations associated with the respective orders;

(iv) package tracking information identifying one or more package statuses, including package locations, associated with delivery of the respective orders; and

(v) recipient information identifying one or more recipient addresses associated with the respective orders;

wherein at least some of the order information for the plurality of respective orders stored in the one or more electronic databases was obtained by automatically identifying and extracting the at least some of the order information from email software located on at least one remote server of a vendor computer system, which is operatively connected to a computerized processing system;

(b) one or more processors operatively connected to the one or more electronic databases and configured to perform the following steps;

(i) receiving, at the one or more computers from a first requestor device, a request to identify one or more alternate delivery options for a first existing order from an e-commerce vendor computer system associated with the first existing order, wherein the first existing order contains a first product;

(ii) receiving, at the one or more computers from the e-commerce vendor computer system, order information relating to the first existing order, wherein the order information includes product information and recipient information including a recipient address;

(iii) updating, by the one or more computers, the data in the databases with the order information associated with the received request;

(iv) determining, by the one or more computers using data in the one or more electronic databases, one or more undelivered in-transit orders including a second product matching the first product;

(v) determining, by the one or more computers, one or more options to reroute at least one of the identified undelivered in-transit orders to the recipient address associated with the first existing order based at least in part on the received request from the first requestor device and at least the following factors;

(1) delivery timeframes;

(2) cost information associated with each fulfillment option;

(3) respective locations of the undelivered in-transit orders; and

(4) an address associated with the first requestor;

(vi) providing, from the one or more computers to the first requestor device via an electronic interface, at least one of the one or more options to reroute;

(vii) obtaining, at the one or more computers from the first requestor device via the electronic interface, a first selection of one of the provided one or more options to reroute;

(viii) generating, by the one or more computers, machine-readable routing instructions to reroute the first undelivered in-transit order to the address associated with the first requestor; and

(xi) transmitting via electronic communication, from the one or more computers to a shipping computer system associated with the first undelivered in-transit order, the machine-readable routing instructions;

wherein the computerized processing system interacts via electronic communications with a plurality of shipping computer systems and vendor computer systems to maintain up-to-date information for the plurality of respective orders and to reroute undelivered orders to facilitate alternate delivery of e-commerce orders.