Computer system for routing package deliveries
First Claim
1. A combined carrier shipping system for shipping a plurality of packages, said combined carrier shipping system comprising:
- a first carrier physical delivery system capable of delivering one of the packages to a consignee location;
a second carrier physical delivery system also capable of delivering the package to the consignee location; and
a shipment ordering system connected in communication with the first carrier physical delivery system, wherein the shipment ordering system is configured to;
record a request to ship the package and package information associated with the package, said package information including at least the consignee location for delivery of the package, determine whether the consignee location meets a stored condition for single carrier delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system, in response to the single carrier condition being met, initiate delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system from a starting location to the consignee location, and in response to the single carrier condition not being met, initiate delivery of the package by the first carrier physical delivery system from the starting location to an intermediate location for further delivery by the second carrier physical delivery system to the consignee location.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package. The shipping system also includes an information system having a shipper computer system configured to record and determine whether the delivery address of a package is an efficient destination for the first carrier. If not an efficient destination, such as a delivery address having a rural zip code, the shipper computer system is configured to label the package for delivery to one of the transfer locations, allowing the first carrier to transfer the selected package to the second carrier for completion of the less efficient portion of the delivery.
265 Citations
71 Claims
-
1. A combined carrier shipping system for shipping a plurality of packages, said combined carrier shipping system comprising:
-
a first carrier physical delivery system capable of delivering one of the packages to a consignee location;
a second carrier physical delivery system also capable of delivering the package to the consignee location; and
a shipment ordering system connected in communication with the first carrier physical delivery system, wherein the shipment ordering system is configured to;
record a request to ship the package and package information associated with the package, said package information including at least the consignee location for delivery of the package, determine whether the consignee location meets a stored condition for single carrier delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system, in response to the single carrier condition being met, initiate delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system from a starting location to the consignee location, and in response to the single carrier condition not being met, initiate delivery of the package by the first carrier physical delivery system from the starting location to an intermediate location for further delivery by the second carrier physical delivery system to the consignee location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A shipping information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said shipping information system comprising:
a shipper information system configured to record package information, including a consignee address of the package, and of comparing the consignee address to a stored delivery area of the first carrier, said shipper computer system further configured to generate, in response to determining that the consignee address is not within the stored delivery area of the first carrier, a combined shipping label image containing the package information, a first carrier tracking symbol, a second carrier tracking symbol and an address of an intermediate location at which the second carrier is configured to obtain the package and complete delivery to the consignee address. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
26. A combined carrier shipping system for shipping a plurality of packages, said combined carrier shipping system comprising:
-
a primary carrier physical delivery system;
one or more secondary carrier physical delivery systems; and
a shipment ordering system connected in communication with the primary carrier physical delivery system, wherein the shipment ordering system is configured to;
record a request to ship one of the packages and package information associated with the package, said package information including at least a consignee location for delivery of the package, determine whether the consignee location meets a stored efficiency condition for single carrier delivery by the primary carrier physical delivery system, in response to the single carrier efficiency condition being met, initiate delivery by the primary carrier physical delivery system from a starting location to the consignee location, and in response to the single carrier efficiency condition not being met, initiate delivery of the package by the primary carrier physical delivery system from the starting location to an intermediate location for further delivery by one or more of the secondary carrier physical delivery systems to the consignee location. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A computer system for routing delivery of a package by a plurality of carriers each having one of a plurality of physical delivery systems wherein delivery is requested by a shipper computer system, said computer system comprising:
-
an initial carrier computer system connected in electronic communication with the carrier physical delivery system of an initial one of the carriers and the shipper computer system, said initial carrier computer system;
configured to obtain package information data from the shipper computer system, said package information data including a consignee address;
configured to determine whether at least some of the package information data meets a stored condition for single carrier delivery, configured to instruct the initial carrier physical delivery system to deliver one of the packages to the consignee address in response to the single carrier condition being met, and configured to determine an intermediate location at which a subsequent one of the carriers is configured to receive the package in response to the single carrier condition not being met; and
a subsequent carrier computer system connected in communication with the initial carrier computer system and a subsequent one of the carrier physical delivery systems, said subsequent carrier computer system;
configured to obtain the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location from the initial carrier computer system;
configured to receive instructions from the initial carrier computer system to receive the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery to the consignee address; and
configured to send the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location to the subsequent carrier physical delivery system and instructing the subsequent carrier delivery system to obtain the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery of the package to the consignee address. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
-
-
46. A method of routing delivery of a package by a plurality of carriers each having one of a plurality of physical delivery systems, said method of routing comprising:
-
obtaining package information data, including a consignee address, from a shipper;
determining whether at least some of the package information data meets a condition for single carrier delivery;
instructing the initial carrier physical delivery system to deliver one of the packages to the consignee address in response to the single carrier condition being met; and
determining an intermediate location at which a subsequent one of the carriers is configured to receive the package in response to the single carrier condition not being met. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. A computer program product for routing delivery of a package, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
-
a first executable portion for obtaining package information data, including a consignee address, from a shipper computer system;
a second executable portion for determining whether at least some of the package information data meets a condition for single carrier delivery;
a third executable portion for instructing an initial carrier physical delivery system to deliver one of the packages to the consignee address in response to the single carrier condition being met; and
a fourth executable portion for determining an intermediate location at which a subsequent one of the carriers is configured to receive the package in response to the single carrier condition not being met. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
-
-
61. A shipping information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said shipping information system comprising:
-
a shipper information system configured to record package information, including a consignee address of the package, and of comparing the consignee address to a stored delivery area of the first carrier, said shipper computer system further configured to generate, in response to determining that the consignee address is not within the stored delivery area of the first carrier, a combined shipping label image containing the package information, a first carrier tracking symbol, a second carrier tracking symbol and an address of an intermediate location at which the second carrier is capable of obtaining the package and completing delivery to the consignee address; and
a first carrier information system comprising;
a package information system connected in communication with the shipper information system and configured to obtain the package information, the first carrier tracking symbol and the second carrier tracking symbol from the shipper information system;
a tracking system connected in communication with a first scanning device positioned at the intermediate location and a second scanning device positioned at a shipper location, said tracking system configured to determine when the first scanning device has scanned the first carrier tracking symbol of the package at the intermediate location and also configured to determine when the second scanning device has scanned at least one of the tracking symbols of the package at the shipper location as the package is being returned; and
a verification system connected in communication with the package information system and the tracking system, said verification system configured to obtain package information and tracking information from the respective systems and of using the first carrier tracking symbol to combine the package information and tracking information into a billing manifest, said verification system also configured to later modify the billing manifest upon receipt of tracking information indicating scanning of the package at the shipper location by the second scanning device due to return of the package to the shipper location. - View Dependent Claims (62)
-
-
63. A carrier information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said carrier information system comprising
a package information system capable of communicating with a shipper and receiving package information, a first carrier tracking symbol and a second carrier tracking symbol from the shipper; -
a tracking system connected in communication with at least a first scanning device positioned at an intermediate location and a second scanning device positioned at a shipper location, said tracking system configured to determine when the first scanning device has scanned the first carrier tracking symbol of the package at the intermediate location prior to release to the second carrier and also configured to determine when the second scanning device has scanned at least one of the first carrier tracking symbol and the second carrier tracking symbol of the package at the shipper location as the package is being returned; and
a verification system connected in communication with the package information system and the tracking system, said verification system configured to obtain package information and tracking information from the respective systems and of using the first carrier tracking symbol to combine the package information and tracking information into an initial billing manifest, said verification system also configured to later modify the billing manifest upon receipt of tracking information indicating scanning of the package at the shipper location by the second scanning device due to return of the package to the shipper location. - View Dependent Claims (64)
-
-
65. A shipping information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said shipping information system comprising:
-
a package information system capable of communicating with a shipper and receiving package information and a first carrier tracking symbol from the shipper;
a tracking system connected in communication with a first carrier scanning device positioned at least at an intermediate location, said tracking system configured to determine when the scanning device has scanned the first carrier tracking symbol of the package at the intermediate location indicating release of the package to the second carrier; and
a verification system connected in communication with the package information system and the tracking system, said verification system configured to obtain package information and tracking information from the respective systems and of using the first carrier tracking symbol to combine the package information and tracking information into a billing manifest for submission to the second carrier. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
-
Specification