Arranging for shipment of a package without generating a shipping label

• US 10,311,396 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gillen, Robert J., Lewis, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US15/800,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20180068254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for arranging for shipping a package without the customer needing to generate or apply a shipping label, or any other information, to the package. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a carrier server and a carrier device. The carrier server may receive and store a smart code and shipping information associated with the package, which it may link together. The carrier device may capture the smart code from the package and send a request, including the smart code, to the carrier server for related shipping information. The carrier server may receive the request from the carrier device, retrieve the shipping information based on the smart code, and send the shipping information to the carrier device. The carrier device may receive the shipping information and generate a shipping label for the package based on the shipping information.

Claims

1. A mobile device for arranging shipment of an item, the mobile device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to at least:

provide an interface for inputting or selecting shipping information associated with shipment of the item;

receive input from a user inputting or selecting the shipping information;

capture an image of a smart code representation printed on the item, the image associated with the shipping information and the item; and

transmit the shipping information to a server to enable the server to (a) retrieve associated shipping information for the item based on the image and (b) facilitate shipment of the item to a destination address based at least on the smart code representation.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a smart code.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the shipping information is utilized to generate a shipping label for the item without associating further information with the item.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein prior to provide the interface, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

receive login information corresponding to a user profile.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

identify one or more carrier drop-off locations proximate a determined geographic location of the mobile device for providing the item to a carrier at a drop-off location.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

perform the transmit of the shipping information to the server after the image is captured.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the smart code representation comprises an encoded version of the smart code, and wherein determine the smart code further comprises decoding the encoded version of the smart code.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

transmit a request to the server to schedule pick-up of the item, wherein the request comprises an indication of the location of the item to enable the server to arrange for dispatch of a vehicle to the location to pick up the item.

9. A method for facilitating shipment of an item, the method comprising:

providing an interface, via the communication device, for inputting or selecting shipping information associated with shipment of the item;

receiving input, via the communication device, from a user inputting or selecting the shipping information, the shipping information including geolocation information of a user device associated with the interface;

capturing, via the communication device, an image associated with the shipping information and the item; and

transmitting, via the communication device, the shipping information to a server to enable the server to (a) retrieve associated shipping information for the item based on the image and (b) facilitate shipment of the item to a destination address based at least on the geolocation information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the image comprises a smart code.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein capturing the image further comprises:

capturing of an image of a smart code representation printed on the item; and

determining the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the smart code representation comprises an encoded version of the smart code, and wherein determining the smart code further comprises decoding the encoded version of the smart code.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the shipping information is utilized to generate a shipping label for the item without associating further information with the item.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein prior to providing the interface, the method further comprises:

receiving, via the communication device, login information corresponding to a user profile.

15. The method claim 9, further comprising:

identifying one or more carrier drop-off locations proximate a determined geographic location of the mobile device for providing the item to the carrier at one of the drop-off locations.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the transmitting of the shipping information to the server is after the image is captured.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting a request to the server to schedule pick-up of the item, wherein the request comprises an indication of the location of the item to enable the server to arrange for dispatch of a vehicle to the location to pick up the item.

18. A computer program product for facilitating shipment of an item, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to provide an interface for inputting or selecting shipping information associated with shipment of the item;

an executable portion configured to cause receipt of input from a user inputting or selecting the shipping information;

an executable portion configured to cause capture of an image associated with the shipping information and the item; and

an executable portion configured to cause transmission of the shipping information to a server to enable the server to (a) retrieve associated shipping information for the item based on the image and (b) facilitate shipment of the item to a destination address.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the image comprises a smart code.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein cause capture of the image further comprises:

capturing of an image of a smart code representation printed on the item; and

determining the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the smart code representation comprises an encoded version of the smart code, and wherein determining the smart code further comprises decoding the encoded version of the smart code.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the capturing of the image occurs prior to the providing of the interface, and wherein the computer program product further comprising an executable portion configured to automatically launch the interface in response to the capturing of the image.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the shipping information is utilized to generate a shipping label for the item without associating further information with the item.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

an executable portion configured to identify one or more carrier drop-off locations proximate a determined geographic location of the mobile device for providing the item to the carrier at one of the drop-off locations.

25. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

the transmission of the shipping information to the server is after the image is captured.