Systems and methods of delivering parcels using attended delivery/pickup locations

• US 10,521,761 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• 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: Lievens, Daniel, Dethier, Vincent, Henderickx, Peter, Pirenne, Luc, Payre, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Paulson, Sheetal R
• Application Number:
  US14/199,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/407 Cancellation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating delivery of parcels to, from, and between attended delivery/pickup locations. In various embodiments, the attended delivery/pickup locations may be associated with brick-and-mortar retail locations and used to facilitate inventory transfer between locations, shipment of goods purchased at the brick-and-mortar-retail locations to other attended delivery/pickup locations or other locations, and to receive delivery of parcels sent from any suitable location. In some embodiments, the attended delivery/pickup locations are configured to receive shipments of items ordered from online retail websites. In other embodiments, the attended delivery/pickups locations are associated with shopping centers and configured to facilitate shipment of items purchased at the associated shopping centers.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the delivering of a parcel based on managing storage capacity in a logistics network, the method comprising:

providing, by at least one processor to a first user, a selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations to which the first user may have one or more parcels delivered;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request from said first user to deliver said one or more parcels to a first attended delivery/pickup location of said selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations, said request comprising an intended recipient and said first attended delivery/pickup location;

automatically determining, by the at least one processor, a capacity of said first attended delivery/pickup location to accept said one or more parcels prior to facilitating delivery of said one or more parcels to said first attended delivery/pickup location, wherein the capacity is determined based at least on dimensions of said one or more parcels, available dimensional space at said first attended delivery/pickup location, and an average latency of parcels stored at said first attended delivery/pickup location;

following a determination that the capacity is adequate to accept said one or more parcels;

automatically reserving space for said one or more parcels at said first attended delivery/pickup location based at least in part on the capacity being determined to be adequate;

generating a shipping label for said one or more parcels for use in routing the one or more parcels to said first attended delivery/pickup location determined to have adequate capacity;

coupling the shipping label to said one or more parcels; and

delivering said one or more parcels to said first attended delivery/pickup location determined to have adequate capacity using the shipping label;

or

following a determination that the capacity is not adequate to accept said one or more parcels at said first attended delivery/pickup location, automatically providing, by the at least one processor, a selection of alternate attended delivery/pickup locations to said first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the available dimensional space at said first attended delivery/pickup location is determined based on a total volume of stored parcels at said first attended delivery/pickup location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacity is further determined based on an ability of said first attended delivery/pickup location to expand its capacity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacity is further determined based on a density of parcels stored at said first attended delivery/pickup location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacity is further determined based on handling instructions associated with said one or more parcels, the handling instructions requiring storage at a particular temperature, and an available storage temperature at said first attended delivery/pickup location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

generating, by the at least one processor, a notification that said one or more parcels have been delivered to said first attended delivery/pickup location following the delivery of said one or more parcels; and

following the delivery of said one or more parcels, receiving an indication that said one or more parcels have been retrieved from said first attended delivery/pickup location based on near-field communications detected at said first attended delivery/pickup location indicating that a designated recipient has retrieved said one or more parcels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, following delivery of said one or more parcels, receiving an indication that said one or more parcels have been retrieved from said first attended delivery/pickup location based on an electronic ID card specific to said first attended delivery/pickup location being detected at said first attended delivery/pickup location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacity is further determined based on an estimated future capacity of said first attended delivery/pickup location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacity is further determined based on whether a predetermined percentage of capacity of said first attended delivery/pickup location has been exceeded.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined percentage of capacity is at least 95% of a maximum capacity of said first attended delivery/pickup location, and wherein, when the predetermined percentage of capacity is exceeded, the selection of alternate attended delivery/pickup locations is automatically provided to the first user.

11. A method for facilitating the delivering of a parcel based on managing storage capacity in a logistics network, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, an indication of a receipt of an item at a first attended delivery/pickup location, said item having been purchased by a user at a shopping center and said first attended delivery/pickup location being located within said shopping center;

providing, by the at least one processor, a selection of one or more available attended delivery/pickup locations to said user;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request to ship said item from said first attended delivery/pickup location to a second attended delivery/pickup location designated by said user, said second attended delivery/pickup location being a selected one of the available attended delivery/pickup locations;

automatically determining, by the at least one processor, a capacity of said second attended delivery/pickup location to accept said item prior to initiating delivery of said item, wherein the capacity is determined based on at least dimensions of said item, available dimensional space at said second attended delivery/pickup location, and an ability of said second attended delivery/pickup location to expand its capacity;

determining, by the at least one processor, that the capacity is adequate for receiving said item at said second attended delivery/pickup location;

automatically reserving, by the at least one processor, space for said item at said second attended delivery/pickup location based at least in part on the capacity being determined to be adequate;

generating a shipping label for routing said item to said second attended delivery/pickup location determined to have adequate capacity, said shipping label including a machine-readable indicia;

coupling the shipping label to said item or to a parcel enclosing said item; and

delivering said item to said second attended delivery/pickup location determined to have adequate capacity utilizing said shipping label.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, by the at least one processor, a notification of pickup of said item by a designated recipient based on recognition of an electronic ID card associated with said designated recipient that is valid at said second attended delivery/pickup location.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the capacity is determined to be adequate further based on a predetermined percentage of capacity of the second attended delivery/pickup location not being exceeded.