Method and apparatus for supporting delivery, sale and billing of perishable and time-sensitive goods such as newspapers, periodicals and direct marketing and promotional materials
First Claim
1. A method of delivering quantities of goods comprising:
- maintaining a database providing at least route delivery information, communicating at least portions of said database to plural respective handheld devices for display to respective delivery personnel;
delivering said goods based at least in part on said displayed database portions;
using said handheld devices to collect information during said goods delivery, and communicating said collected information to said database, wherein said collected information comprises information directing a shuffle delivery.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods provide for tracking, controlling, optimizing, and otherwise managing the delivery of perishable and time-sensitive goods such as newspapers, periodicals and promotional materials to consumers, both subscribers and non-subscribers, and to retail outlets. One exemplary arrangement includes a web server, a database server, and handheld computers. A database including at least route delivery information may be created and at least portions of the database may be communicated to respective handheld devices for display. Time-sensitive goods such as newspapers or periodicals may be delivered based at least in part on the information displayed on the handheld devices, which are also used to collect information during said delivery. The collected information is communicated to the database for billing, reporting and analysis. Features include intelligent advanced shuffle handling and tracking, web-based planning tools, sequencing of distribution outlets along a trip or route, delivery without employing paper lists, trip management/tracking, intermittent or continual connectivity and/or data reporting, time stamping/time-based tracking, and retail manager signature input as part of data collection. Support for ASP, service-oriented business models may be provided.
59 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of delivering quantities of goods comprising:
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maintaining a database providing at least route delivery information, communicating at least portions of said database to plural respective handheld devices for display to respective delivery personnel;
delivering said goods based at least in part on said displayed database portions;
using said handheld devices to collect information during said goods delivery, and communicating said collected information to said database, wherein said collected information comprises information directing a shuffle delivery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for delivering time-sensitive goods such as newspapers or other publications comprising:
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a database server that stores database information including at least route delivery information, a communications server coupled to said database server, said communications server communicating selected subsets of said database information to respective handheld devices for display thereon;
said respective handheld devices each including a display that displays information for, in use, guiding the delivery of said time-sensitive goods, said handheld devices including a data communications arrangement that communicates said collected information to said database, wherein said collected information comprises shuffle information. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of providing delivery management services comprising:
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operating web-enabled computing equipment providing a database and web enabled applications;
allowing plural users to access said web-enabled computing equipment to define at least plural delivery routes;
communicating said delivery routes to respective remote handheld devices;
using said handheld devices to collect delivery information; and
reporting said collected delivery information to said computing equipment for bill generation.
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36. An automation system for automatically managing periodical publication delivery to disparately located delivery outlets, said system comprising:
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a server arrangement that maintains delivery route instructions and permits remote users using web-enabled appliances to specify and update said delivery route instructions;
plural portable handheld appliances that are, in use, intermittently connectable to said server arrangement, said plural portable handheld appliances receiving, storing and displaying subsets of said delivery route instructions relating to particular delivery routes;
said plural intermittently-connected portable handheld appliances each including a printed indicia scanner that, in use, automatically reads and recognizes edition and date information printed on said periodical publications, said appliances tallying quantities and types of publications delivered and returned on a per-outlet basis based at least in part on information collected using said printed indicia scanners;
said plural intermittently-connected portable handheld appliances uploading collected information to said server arrangement, said server arrangement permitting said plural remote users to review delivery activity based, at least in part, on said collected, tallied quantities and types of publications delivered and returned. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification