Consolidated shipping and distribution of multiple orders with returns
First Claim
1. A system for distributing an item, comprised of:
- an inventory management service, wherein an order placed by a customer comprised of one or more items is received;
a centralized distribution center, wherein each item ordered by the customer is obtained, a sub-package, wherein one or more items ordered by the customer are placed;
a sub-package identifier that is associated with the sub-package;
a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier, wherein at least two sub-packages are placed in the shipping container and prepared for shipment;
a tracking system that allows tracking of the shipping container during shipment, wherein the sub-package identifier of each sub-package in a shipping container is linked with the tracking identifier of the shipping container; and
a localized distribution center, wherein the shipping container is received and unpacked, access to the sub-package is controlled and the sub-package is made available for retrieval and if the sub-package is retrieved receipt of the sub-package is acknowledged.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods of consolidating, shipping and distributing items comprising multiple orders to multiple customers. The orders are received by an inventory management service, filled and packaged at a centralized distribution center in fewer containers than there are orders. For instance, if there are N orders destined for a particular authorized outlet, then the N orders will be consolidated and shipped in at most N−1, or fewer, containers. However, each order is individually packaged, controlled, tracked and received as an individual order. The consolidated containers are shipped to an authorized outlet and the individual orders are distributed to the customers. Also provided are systems and methods for returning orders that are not picked up at the authorized outlet to a central location. The items may be, for example, service parts, wireless communication devices, etc. Warehousing, shipping and transportation costs are reduced by this invention.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1. A system for distributing an item, comprised of:
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an inventory management service, wherein an order placed by a customer comprised of one or more items is received;
a centralized distribution center, wherein each item ordered by the customer is obtained, a sub-package, wherein one or more items ordered by the customer are placed;
a sub-package identifier that is associated with the sub-package;
a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier, wherein at least two sub-packages are placed in the shipping container and prepared for shipment;
a tracking system that allows tracking of the shipping container during shipment, wherein the sub-package identifier of each sub-package in a shipping container is linked with the tracking identifier of the shipping container; and
a localized distribution center, wherein the shipping container is received and unpacked, access to the sub-package is controlled and the sub-package is made available for retrieval and if the sub-package is retrieved receipt of the sub-package is acknowledged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for distributing a service part, comprised of:
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an inventory management service, wherein an order placed by a customer for one or more service parts is received;
a centralized distribution center, wherein each service part ordered by the customer is obtained;
a sub-package, wherein one or more service parts ordered by the customer are placed;
a sub-package identifier that is associated with the sub-package;
a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier, wherein at least two sub-packages are placed in the shipping container and prepared for shipment;
a tracking system that allows tracking of the shipping container during shipment, wherein the sub-package identifier of each sub-package in a shipping container is linked with the tracking identifier of the shipping container; and
a localized distribution center, wherein the shipping container is received and unpacked, access to the sub-package is controlled and the sub-package is made available for retrieval and if the sub-package is retrieved receipt of the sub-package is acknowledged. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for distributing a wireless communication device, comprised of:
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an inventory management service, wherein an order placed by a customer for one or more wireless communication devices is received;
a centralized distribution center, wherein each wireless communication device ordered by the customer is obtained;
a device identifier that is associated with each wireless communication device;
a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier, wherein one or more wireless communication devices are placed in the shipping container and prepared for shipment;
a tracking system that allows tracking of the shipping container during shipment, wherein the device identifier of each wireless communication device in a shipping container is linked with the tracking identifier of the shipping container; and
a localized distribution center, wherein the shipping container is received and unpacked, access to the wireless communication device is controlled and the wireless communication device is made available for retrieval and if the wireless communication device is retrieved receipt of the wireless communication device is acknowledged. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for distributing an item, comprised of:
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an inventory management service, wherein an order placed by a customer comprised of one or more items is received;
a centralized distribution center, wherein each item ordered by the customer is obtained;
a sub-package, wherein one or more items ordered by the customer are placed;
a sub-package identifier that is associated with the sub-package;
a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier, wherein at least two sub-packages are placed in the shipping container and prepared for shipment;
a tracking system that allows tracking of the shipping container during shipment, wherein the sub-package identifier of each sub-package in a shipping container is linked with the tracking identifier of the shipping container;
a control device, wherein the control device associates the sub-package identifier and the customer;
a localized distribution center, wherein the shipping container is received and unpacked and access to the sub-package is controlled and the sub-package is made available for retrieval; and
a control log, wherein the control log associates the sub-package identifier with the customer and if the sub-package is retrieved receipt of the sub-package is acknowledged. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of distributing an item comprising:
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receiving an order comprised or one or more items placed by a customer;
obtaining each item ordered by the customer;
placing each item ordered by the customer into a sub-package;
associating a sub-package identifier with each sub-package;
placing at least two sub-packages into a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier and preparing the sub-packages and the shipping container for shipment;
linking each sub-package identifier within the shipping container with the shipping container'"'"'s tracking identifier;
shipping the shipping container to a localized distribution center and tracking the shipping container during shipment;
receiving and unpacking the shipping container at the localized distribution center; and
controlling access to the sub-package at the localized distribution center and making the sub-package available for retrieval and if the sub-package is retrieved obtaining acknowledgment of the receipt of the sub-package. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for distributing a service part comprising:
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receiving an order comprised or one or more service parts placed by a customer;
obtaining each service part ordered by the customer;
placing each service part ordered by the customer into a sub-package;
associating a sub-package identifier with each sub-package;
placing at least two sub-packages into a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier and preparing the sub-packages and the shipping container for shipment;
linking each sub-package identifier within the shipping container with the shipping container'"'"'s tracking identifier;
shipping the shipping container to a localized distribution center and tracking the shipping container during shipment;
receiving and unpacking the shipping container at the localized distribution center; and
controlling access to the sub-package at the localized distribution center and making the sub-package available for retrieval and if the sub-package is retrieved obtaining acknowledgment of the receipt of the sub-package. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method for distributing a wireless communication device, comprising:
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receiving an order comprised or one or more wireless communication devices placed by a customer;
obtaining each wireless communication device ordered by the customer;
associating a device identifier with each wireless communication device;
placing at least two wireless communication devices into a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier and preparing the wireless communication devices and the shipping container for shipment;
linking each device identifier within the shipping container with the shipping container'"'"'s tracking identifier;
shipping the shipping container to a localized distribution center and tracking the shipping container during shipment;
receiving and unpacking the shipping container at the localized distribution center; and
controlling access to the wireless communication device at the localized distribution center and making the wireless communication device available for retrieval and if the wireless communication device is retrieved obtaining acknowledgment of the receipt of the wireless communication device. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A method of distributing an item comprising:
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receiving an order comprised or one or more items placed by a customer;
obtaining each item ordered by the customer;
placing each item ordered by the customer into a sub-package;
associating a sub-package identifier with each sub-package;
placing at least two sub-packages into a shipping container that is associated with a tracking identifier and preparing the sub-packages and the shipping container for shipment;
linking each sub-package identifier within the shipping container with the shipping container'"'"'s tracking identifier;
associating the sub-package identifier of each sub-package within the shipping container to a customer identifier and showing such association on a control device and associating the control device with the shipping container;
shipping the shipping container to a localized distribution center and tracking the shipping container during shipment;
receiving and unpacking the shipping container at the localized distribution center;
showing the association between the sub-package identifier of each sub-package within the shipping container to the customer identifier on a control log; and
controlling access to the sub-package at the localized distribution center and making the sub-package available for retrieval and if the sub-package is retrieved obtaining acknowledgment of the receipt of the sub-package on the control log. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification