Inbound package tracking systems and methods

• US 20040215588A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• 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: Cornelius, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention discloses systems and methods for tracking packages inbound to a user. One embodiment of the invention discloses a process by which shipping information is analyzed to determine the various ways in which shippers have previously identified a consignee location. A consignee alias table is generated that lists the various combinations of consignee name and address used by shippers to identify the consignee location. Package level detail is then received from a carrier and compared against a consignee alias database to identify packages that are inbound to the consignee location, and a consignee location table is updated that monitors the status and anticipated delivery date of all packages inbound to the consignee location.

Claims

1. A method of tracking packages that are inbound to a user, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a user alias database that includes a plurality of combinations of a user name and a user address;

capturing shipping detail about a package that is in transit in a carrier system, said shipping detail including a consignee name field and a consignee address field;

comparing said package shipping detail against said alias database; and

updating a consignee table when said consignee name and address fields match one of said plurality of combinations of user name and address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a user alias database comprises the steps of:

identifying one or more packages that are shipped to said user during a predetermined period of time;

capturing a tracking number for each of said one or more packages

querying a manifest with each of said tracking numbers to determine a consignee name and a consignee address used to identify said user;

comparing said combination of consignee name and consignee address against said known combinations of user name and user address in said user alias database; and

adding said combination of consignee name and consignee address to said user alias database if said combination of consignee name and consignee address does not match one of said known combinations of user name and user address.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of forecasting an expected delivery date of said package and updating said consignee table with said expected delivery date.

4. A system for tracking packages that are inbound to a location that is associated with a user, said system comprising:

a alias database that lists a variety of data combinations that identify said location;

a package detail database that provides shipping information about one or more packages that are in transit in a carrier system;

an inbound visibility engine that receives package shipping information from said package detail database and compares at least a portion of said shipping information against said alias database to determine whether said package is bound for said location; and

a consignee table that is updated by said inbound visibility engine with information about said packages that are bound for said location.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said visibility engine is further configured to provide user access to said consignee table via a network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said network is the Internet.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said variety of data combinations used to identify said location comprise a plurality of combinations of user name and user address.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said inbound visibility engine determines whether said package is bound for said location by comparing at least a potion of said shipping detail against said plurality of combinations of user name and user address.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said shipping detail includes a consignee name field and at least one consignee address field.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said inbound visibility engine determines that said package is bound for said location if said consignee name and address fields match a combination of user name and address in said alias database.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein said consignee table is accessible to one or more users via a network.

12. The system of claim 4, further comprising a delivery database that includes shipping information about packages that are delivered to said location.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said inbound visibility engine is further configured to query said delivery database with a package tracking number associated with said package and update said consignee table with said delivery information.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein said inbound visibility engine is further configured to forecast an expected delivery date of said package.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said inbound visibility engine is further configured to update said consignee table with said delivery information.

16. The system of claim 4, wherein said inbound visibility engine is further configured to receive one or more shipping status updates from said package detail database and to update said consignee tables with said shipping status updates.

17. A method of tracking packages that are inbound to a user, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying one or more shippers that ship packages to said user;

capturing consignee data previously used by said one or more shippers to identify said user;

monitoring package shipping detail for packages in transit in a carrier system;

comparing said package shipping detail against said consignee data; and

updating a consignee table with at least a portion of said package shipping detail when said shipping information matches said consignee data.