Parcel processing system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for controllable physical sorting of a plurality of parcels to be shipped and which adaptively accommodates different encoding formats for machine-readable indicia via mapping, the parcels including a plurality of scanable parcel identifiers thereon, the system comprising:
- a scanner configured to a scan machine-readable indicia on the parcels, wherein the machine-readable indicia comprise data that encodes destination zip codes and the parcel identifiers for the parcels;
a database in which a plurality of customer profile data structures are stored, each customer profile data structure being associated with a customer, and each of a plurality of the customer profile data structures comprising data indicative of a plurality of permitted shipping service levels for its associated customer, the database further comprising a plurality of mapping data structures that identify how parcel identifiers and destination zip codes are encoded in a plurality of different encoding formats for the machine-readable indicia;
a computer processor in cooperation with the scanner and the database, the computer processor configured to;
receive scanned data from the scanner that represents the encoded parcel identifiers and destination zip codes from the machine-readable indicia;
decode the encoded parcel identifiers and destination zip codes in the scanned data based on the mapping data structures; and
for each decoded parcel identifier, (1) determine a destination for the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier based on decoded destination zip code for the parcel associated with that parcel identifier, (2) determine a delivery time frame for shipping the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier, (3) determine a customer associated with the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier, (4) retrieve from the database the customer profile data structure associated with the determined customer, (5) select a permitted shipping service level from the retrieved customer profile data structure based on a plurality of rules applied to the determined destination and the determined delivery time frame, the rules configured to identify for selection which of the permitted shipping service levels is estimated to deliver the parcel to the destination within the delivery time frame at the lowest monetary cost, (6) determine a drop point where the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier is to be transferred to a shipping carrier based on the selected shipping service level and the determined destination, (7) generate shipping label data for the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier in accordance with the selected shipping service level and the determined destination, and (8) determine a shipping container from among a plurality of shipping containers that the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier is to be sorted into; and
a conveyer system configured to move the parcels into any of a plurality of shipping containers, the conveyer system including at least one mechanical sorter under control of the computer processor to selectively sort the parcels for movement into selected ones of the shipping containers based on the determined shipping container; and
wherein the computer processor is further configured to provide control instructions for the mechanical sorter based on the determined drop point, the control instructions configured to define which shipping container each parcel is to be sorted into.
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Abstract
A parcel processing system configured to select a permitted shipping service level from among the plurality of permitted shipping service levels based on a plurality of rules, control the sorting of the parcel into one of a plurality of shipping containers, and bill customers.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A system for controllable physical sorting of a plurality of parcels to be shipped and which adaptively accommodates different encoding formats for machine-readable indicia via mapping, the parcels including a plurality of scanable parcel identifiers thereon, the system comprising:
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a scanner configured to a scan machine-readable indicia on the parcels, wherein the machine-readable indicia comprise data that encodes destination zip codes and the parcel identifiers for the parcels; a database in which a plurality of customer profile data structures are stored, each customer profile data structure being associated with a customer, and each of a plurality of the customer profile data structures comprising data indicative of a plurality of permitted shipping service levels for its associated customer, the database further comprising a plurality of mapping data structures that identify how parcel identifiers and destination zip codes are encoded in a plurality of different encoding formats for the machine-readable indicia; a computer processor in cooperation with the scanner and the database, the computer processor configured to; receive scanned data from the scanner that represents the encoded parcel identifiers and destination zip codes from the machine-readable indicia; decode the encoded parcel identifiers and destination zip codes in the scanned data based on the mapping data structures; and for each decoded parcel identifier, (1) determine a destination for the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier based on decoded destination zip code for the parcel associated with that parcel identifier, (2) determine a delivery time frame for shipping the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier, (3) determine a customer associated with the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier, (4) retrieve from the database the customer profile data structure associated with the determined customer, (5) select a permitted shipping service level from the retrieved customer profile data structure based on a plurality of rules applied to the determined destination and the determined delivery time frame, the rules configured to identify for selection which of the permitted shipping service levels is estimated to deliver the parcel to the destination within the delivery time frame at the lowest monetary cost, (6) determine a drop point where the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier is to be transferred to a shipping carrier based on the selected shipping service level and the determined destination, (7) generate shipping label data for the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier in accordance with the selected shipping service level and the determined destination, and (8) determine a shipping container from among a plurality of shipping containers that the parcel corresponding to that parcel identifier is to be sorted into; and a conveyer system configured to move the parcels into any of a plurality of shipping containers, the conveyer system including at least one mechanical sorter under control of the computer processor to selectively sort the parcels for movement into selected ones of the shipping containers based on the determined shipping container; and wherein the computer processor is further configured to provide control instructions for the mechanical sorter based on the determined drop point, the control instructions configured to define which shipping container each parcel is to be sorted into. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 40, 47)
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10. A method for controllably and physically sorting a parcel to be shipped and which adaptively accommodates different encoding formats for machine-readable indicia via mapping, the method comprising:
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scanning machine-readable indicia on the parcel to generate scanned data, wherein the machine-readable indicia comprises an encoded parcel identifier and an encoded destination; a computer processor selecting a mapping data structure from among a plurality of mapping data structures, the mapping data structures identifying how parcel identifiers and destinations are encoded in a plurality of different encoding formats for the machine-readable indicia; the computer processor decoding the scanned data based on the selected mapping data structure to determine the parcel identifier and destination for the scanned parcel; the computer processor determining a delivery time frame for shipping the parcel based on the determined parcel identifier; the computer processor determining a customer associated with the parcel; the computer processor referencing a customer profile data structure associated with the determined customer, wherein the referenced customer profile data structure comprises data indicative of a plurality of permitted shipping service levels for the determined customer; the computer processor selecting a permitted shipping service level from among the plurality of permitted shipping service levels based on a plurality of rules, the rules operating on the data in the referenced customer profile data structure to identify which of the permitted shipping service levels is estimated to deliver the parcel to the destination within the delivery time frame at the lowest monetary cost; the computer processor determining a drop point where the parcel is to be transferred to a shipping carrier based on the selected shipping service level and the determined destination; the computer processor generating shipping label data for the parcel in accordance with the selected shipping service level; moving the parcel via a conveyer system that feeds a plurality of shipping containers, each of a plurality of the shipping containers being associated with different drop points; and the computer processor controlling a sorting of the parcel into one of a plurality of shipping containers based on the determined drop point by controlling the conveyer system to move the parcel into the shipping container associated with the determined drop point. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 41, 42, 48)
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35. An apparatus for processing a parcel to be shipped and which adaptively accommodates different encoding formats for machine-readable indicia via mapping, the parcel including machine-readable indicia thereon, wherein the machine-readable indicia comprise data that encodes a destination and a parcel identifier for the parcel, the apparatus comprising:
a computer processor configured to; receive scanned data that represents the encoded parcel identifier and the destination from the machine-readable indicia; select a mapping data structure from among a plurality of mapping data structures in a memory, wherein the mapping data structures identify how parcel identifiers and destinations are encoded in a plurality of different encoding formats for the machine-readable indicia; decode the encoded parcel identifier and destination in the scanned data based on the selected mapping data structure; determine a destination for the parcel based on the decoded destination; determine a delivery time frame for shipping the parcel; determine a customer associated with the parcel; reference a customer profile data structure associated with the determined customer, wherein the referenced customer profile data structure comprises data indicative of a plurality of permitted shipping service level for the determined customer; select a permitted shipping service level from among the plurality of permitted shipping service levels based on a plurality of rules, the rules operating on the determined destination and the determined delivery time frame to identify which of the permitted shipping service levels is estimated to deliver the parcel to the determined destination within the determined delivery time frame at the lowest monetary cost; determine a drop point where the parcel is to be transferred to a shipping carrier based on the selected shipping service level and the determined destination; generate shipping label data for the parcel in accordance with the selected shipping service level and the determined destination; and control a sorting system to sort the parcel into one of a plurality of shipping containers based on the determined drop point, wherein the sorting system includes a conveyer on which the parcel is moved. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 49)
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36. A computer program product for processing a parcel to be shipped and which adaptively accommodates different encoding formats for machine-readable indicia via mapping, the parcel including machine-readable indicia thereon, wherein the machine-readable indicia comprise data that encodes a destination and a parcel identifier for the parcel, the computer program product comprising:
a plurality of processor-executable instructions that are resident on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the instructions are configured for execution by a computer processor to automatically select a shipping method for a parcel by causing the computer processor to; receive scanned data that represents the encoded parcel identifier and destination from the machine-readable indicia; select a mapping data structure from among a plurality of mapping data structures in a memory, wherein the mapping data structures identify how parcel identifiers and destinations are encoded in a plurality of different encoding formats for the machine-readable indicia; decode the encoded parcel identifier and destination in the scanned data based on the selected mapping data structure; determine a destination for the parcel based on the decoded destination; determine a delivery time frame for shipping the parcel; determine a customer associated with the parcel; reference a customer profile data structure associated with the determined customer, wherein the referenced customer profile data structure comprises data indicative of a plurality of permitted shipping service level for the determined customer; select a permitted shipping service level from among the plurality of permitted shipping service levels based on a plurality of rules, the rules operating on the determined destination and the determined delivery time frame to identify which of the permitted shipping service levels is estimated to deliver the parcel to the determined destination within the determined delivery time frame at the lowest monetary cost; determine a drop point where the parcel is to be transferred to a shipping carrier based on the selected shipping service level and the determined destination; generate shipping label data for the parcel in accordance with the selected shipping service level and the determined destination; and control a sorting system to sort the parcel into one of a plurality of shipping containers based on the determined drop point, wherein the sorting system includes a conveyer on which the parcel is moved. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 45, 46)
Specification