Delivery management method and device, and delivery information service method

• US 20020016744A1
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Uyama, Masashi, Mitsuoka, Madoka, Kohda, Youji, Iwayama, Noboru, Kijima, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Method for making delivery of products more efficient, and having deliveries made that are convenient for delivery recipients. When a user (delivery recipient 3) purchases a product from a vendor and applies for delivery, a management server 4 accepts a delivery application from a vendor client 1. The management server 4 notifies the delivery recipient client 3 of the application for delivery, and prompts the user to designate delivery terms. For example, a delivery terms designation form is provided on a web page, and the URL for that web page is provided in the application for delivery notification. The delivery recipient client 3 accesses the web page and refers to a list of products to be delivered to him or herself. Moreover, the delivery recipient designates delivery terms when he or she is certain of his or her schedule. A delivery business is notified of these delivery terms.

Claims

1. A method for managing delivery of products that have been ordered, including:

an application accepting step of accepting applications for delivery of said products from a provider of said products;

an assigning step of assigning application IDs to said applications;

a prompting step of prompting a delivery recipient of the products to designate delivery terms by notifying said application IDs;

a presenting step of presenting said delivery recipient with a list of the product scheduled to be delivered to said delivery recipient and said application ID therefor;

a term accepting step of accepting designation of delivery terms for the applications specified by said application IDs from said delivery recipient after orders of said products; and

a requesting step of making a request for delivery by notifying a delivery business of the products corresponding to application IDs for which the same delivery term has been designated, of the designated delivery term, and of the delivery recipient.

2. A delivery management method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a group accepting step of accepting formation of a group and designation of group members from said delivery recipient;

and

said prompting step further including a group notification step of giving notification of a list of products scheduled for delivery to other members of the group to which the delivery recipient belongs and the application IDs therefor.

3. A delivery management method according to claim 1, wherein:

said application accepting step further including a step of accepting an application for delivery of a first product of said products and an application for delivery of a second product of said products;

said term application accepting step further including a step of accepting designation of a first delivery term of said delivery terms for the first product and designation of a second delivery term of said delivery terms for the second product;

and

the delivery management method further including;

a judging step of judging whether prior to delivery of said first product, a second delivery term is designated for the second product; and

a term changing step of changing the first delivery term set for said first product to the second delivery term set for said second product according to a result of said judging step.

4. A delivery management method according to claim 1 wherein:

said application accepting step further including a step of accepting an application for delivery of a first product of said products and an application for delivery of a second product of said products;

said term application accepting step further including a step of accepting designation of a first delivery term of said delivery terms for the first product and designation of a second delivery term of said delivery terms for the second product;

and

the delivery management method further including;

a judging step of judging whether the application for delivery of the second product is accepted prior to delivery of said first product; and

a changing step of changing the second delivery term to the first delivery term according to a result of said judging step.

5. A delivery management method according to claim 1, further including:

a user judging step of judging whether said delivery recipient is the party that ordered said products; and

a notifying step of notifying the provider of said products that the products specified by said application IDs have been purchased after said term accepting step, according to a result of said user judging step.

6. A delivery management method according to claim 1, further including:

a user judging step of judging whether said delivery recipient is the party that ordered said products;

a cancel accepting step of accepting cancellation of orders for said products specified by said application IDS; and

a cancel notifying step of notifying the provider of said products for which the order specified by said application IDs has been cancelled, according to a result of said user judging step.

7. A delivery management device that manages the delivery of ordered products, comprising:

accepting means for accepting applications for delivery of said products;

assigning means for assigning application IDs to said applications;

prompting means for prompting a recipient to designate delivery terms by notifying said application IDS;

providing means for providing to said delivery recipient with a list of the products scheduled to be delivered to said delivery recipient and said application IDs therefor;

a term accepting means for accepting from said delivery recipient designation of delivery terms for the applications specified by said application IDs after orders of said products;

requesting means for requesting delivery by notifying a delivery business of the products corresponding to application IDs for which the same delivery term has been designated, of the designated delivery terms, and of the delivery recipient.

8. A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for executing the delivery information service method used in a delivery information service device wherein a plurality of user terminals, a plurality of delivery business terminals and a plurality of vendor terminals are interconnected over a network, said program executing:

a receiving step of receiving product delivery request information sent from a vendor terminal or user terminal, wherein said delivery request information includes a recipient of said products and whether delivery of said products have been made;

a storing step of storing said delivery request information in a delivery request information unit;

an extracting step of extracting said delivery request information from said delivery request information storage unit, wherein extracted delivery request information is for deliveries that have not yet been made and the delivery recipient being the same as the delivery recipient included in said delivery request information received in said receiving step;

an acquiring step of acquiring a notification address of said delivery recipient from a correspondence table of notification addresses that are held having been corresponded beforehand with delivery recipients, in order to send notification to the notification address of said delivery recipient of said received delivery request information, of said extracted delivery-pending delivery request information, and of information prompting the input of desired delivery terms, such as desired date and time of delivery; and

a transmitting step of transmitting to a delivery business terminal of information giving instruction for delivery of the article for delivery to said delivery recipient in accordance with the desired delivery terms sent from said delivery recipient.

9. A delivery information service method including:

step A;

a delivery request for an article is received, the received delivery request is stored in a storage device, and said storage device is searched and delivery requests for pending deliveries with the same delivery recipient as the delivery recipient of said delivery request are extracted;

step B;

an address table wherein delivery recipients and notification addresses have been corresponded beforehand is referred to and the notification address of the delivery recipient is extracted;

step C;

notification is given to the delivery recipient notification address of said delivery request and of said extracted delivery-pending delivery request and the recipient is prompted to input desired delivery terms such as date and time when receipt of the article scheduled for delivery is possible; and

step D;

based on the desired delivery terms given in response, instructions are made for delivery to said delivery recipient of the article scheduled for delivery, said instructions being given to a delivery business that has been designated by the desired conditions or that matches said desired conditions.