System and method of code-based shipping

• US 10,296,865 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peter Oliver Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Peter Oliver Schmidt
• Inventors: Schmidt, Peter Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Kennedy, Joshua T
• Application Number:
  US15/009,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 283 81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

A system and method for shipping an item is presented that reduces the number of steps involved in the physical process and protects shipper and recipient privacy. The shipper is not required to label a package with the shipper'"'"'s name or address, the recipient'"'"'s name or address, or proof of payment. Instead the shipper scans a barcode on the package that encodes a package identifier, and causes a recipient identifier and payment information to be associated with the package identifier in a database. The recipient then causes his or her address to be associated with the recipient identifier.

Claims

1. A method of shipping a parcel, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a shipper party, a packaging, said packaging comprising a machine readable code, wherein said machine readable code represents data comprising a packaging identifier;

electronically sending, by said shipper party, said data to a server;

electronically sending, by said shipper party, a recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party to said server, wherein said server is configured to determine a destination address for said packaging based on said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party and a default destination previously received by said server from said recipient party;

electronically receiving, from said server, a confirmation message indicating that said server was able to determine a destination for said packaging based on said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party; and

electronically sending, by said shipper party, payment information to said server.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

electronically sending, by said shipper party, a request to said server to open a locker.

3. A method of shipping a parcel, the method comprising:

placing, by a manufacturer party, a machine readable code on a packaging, wherein said machine readable code represents data comprising a packaging identifier;

providing, by a distributor party, said packaging to a shipper party;

electronically receiving, by a carrier party, said packaging identifier from said shipper party;

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, a recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party from said recipient party;

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, a default destination from said recipient party;

electronically associating, by said carrier party, said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party with said default destination from said recipient party;

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party from said shipper party;

electronically determining, by said carrier party, a destination address for said packaging based on matching said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party received from said shipper party with said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party received from said recipient party;

electronically sending, by said carrier party, a confirmation message indicating that said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party received from said shipper party matched a recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party received from a recipient party;

physically receiving, by said carrier party, said packaging from said shipper party; and

electronically associating, by said carrier party, said packaging identifier with said destination address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said packaging identifier is initially generated using a random number generation algorithm.

5. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, at a server of said carrier party, payment information from said recipient party; and

electronically associating, by said carrier party, said packaging identifier with said payment information from said recipient party.

6. The method of claim 5, the method further comprising:

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, at a server of said carrier party, an additional destination from said recipient party; and

electronically associating, by said carrier party, said packaging identifier with said additional destination from said recipient party.

7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, a request to open a locker;

verifying, by said carrier party, that the sender of said request is authorized to access said locker; and

electronically opening, by said carrier party, said locker.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said data further comprises at least one of packaging length, width, and depth.

9. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, payment information from said shipping party; and

electronically associating, by said carrier party, said packaging identifier with said payment information from said shipping party.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, an additional destination from said shipping party; and

electronically associating, by said carrier party, said packaging identifier with said additional destination from said shipping party.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party is a username.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein said recipient account identifier corresponding to a recipient party is an email address.

13. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

electronically receiving, by said carrier party, a destination from said shipping party; and

verifying, by said carrier party, whether said destination from said shipping party matches said destination from said recipient party.

14. A method of shipping a parcel, the method comprising:

electronically receiving, from an ecommerce party, a request to open an ecommerce account;

creating an ecommerce account corresponding to said ecommerce party;

electronically receiving, from said ecommerce party, a first destination;

electronically receiving, from said ecommerce party, payment information;

electronically receiving, from a recipient party, a request to open a recipient account;

creating a recipient account corresponding to said recipient party;

electronically receiving, from said recipient party, a second destination;

electronically receiving, from said recipient party, a recipient account identifier;

electronically receiving, from said ecommerce party, a first transmission comprising a request to create a shipment and said recipient account identifier;

creating a shipment record corresponding to said request to create a shipment;

electronically associating said ecommerce account with said shipment record;

electronically verifying whether said first transmission'"'"'s recipient account identifier is associated with a recipient account;

electronically determining said second destination based on said first transmission'"'"'s recipient account identifier and said recipient account associated with said recipient account identifier;

electronically associating said second destination with said shipment record;

electronically associating a packaging identifier with said shipment record;

physically receiving, from said ecommerce party, a packaging comprising a machine readable code, wherein said machine readable code represents data comprising said packaging identifier;

electronically reading said data from said machine readable code of said packaging received from said ecommerce party and electronically determining whether said data'"'"'s packaging identifier is associated with a shipment record;

electronically determining said second destination based on said data from said packaging received from said ecommerce party and said shipment record associated with said data'"'"'s packaging identifier;

physically delivering said packaging to said second destination;

electronically receiving, from either said ecommerce party or said recipient, a second transmission comprising a request to return said packaging;

associating said request to return said packaging with said shipment record;

physically receiving, from said recipient party, said packaging;

electronically reading said data from said machine readable code of said packaging received from said recipient party and electronically determining whether said data'"'"'s packaging identifier is associated with a shipment record;

electronically determining said first destination based on said data from said packaging received from said recipient party, said shipment record associated with said data'"'"'s packaging identifier;

said ecommerce account associated with said shipment record, and said request to return said packaging associated with said shipment record;

electronically associating said first destination with said shipment record; and

physically delivering said packaging to said first destination.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

electronically billing a cost associated with delivery to the second destination using said payment information;

electronically receiving, from said recipient party, a second payment information; and

electronically billing a cost associated with delivery to the first destination using said second payment information.

16. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

electronically generating, in response to receiving said first transmission, said packaging identifier;

electronically sending said packaging identifier to said ecommerce party.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said first transmission further comprises said packaging identifier.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said packaging identifier is a packaging identifier not generated by the party receiving said transmission.

19. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising:

verifying, in response to receiving said first transmission, whether said packaging identifier not generated by the party receiving said transmission is associated with any previously created shipment records.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said packaging identifier is a packaging identifier generated by said ecommerce party.