Manifest generation and download systems and methods

• US 20050137933A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• 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: Davidson, Mark, Anderson, Duane, Perez, Juan, Holsen, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods to generate a manifest of work that is to be performed by a driver. Specifically, systems and methods are described in the context of a package delivery system to generate a manifest of deliveries and pickups to be performed by a driver and to download the generated manifest to a portable computing device used by the driver to service the route.

Claims

1. A system for generating a manifest of work in a package delivery system, said system comprising:

a data capture system that captures shipping label data for a plurality of packages that are bound to a designated geographic location;

a work allocation system that assigns each of said packages to one of a plurality of preexisting delivery routes based at least in part on said shipping label data;

a manifest generation application that monitors said assignment of packages and generates a manifest of work for each of said plurality of preexisting delivery routes; and

a portable computing device that receives said manifest of work in an electronic format.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said shipping label data comprises a package destination address and a service level.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said assignment of packages is based at least in part on said package destination address and said service level.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said work allocation system assigns said packages to said routes by comparing said destination address and said service level against a dispatch plan.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said manifest of work comprises a list of locations and a sequence of servicing said locations.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said sequence of servicing is determined by said dispatch plan.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said portable computing device can be configured to display said manifest of work in accordance with said sequence of servicing.

8. A package delivery system that generates a manifest for each of a plurality of preexisting routes and downloads said manifests to a plurality of portable computing devices, said delivery system comprising:

a data capture system that captures shipping label data from a plurality of packages;

a work allocation system that assigns each of said plurality of packages to one of said preexisting routes based at least in part on said shipping label data;

a manifest generation application that generates said manifest for each of said plurality of preexisting delivery routes, wherein said manifest includes a list of packages that have been assigned to one of said preexisting delivery routes; and

a route manager that downloads said manifest to said portable computing device associated with said one of said preexisting delivery routes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said shipping label data comprises a package destination address and said assignment of packages to one of said preexisting delivery routes is based at least in part on said package destination address.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said shipping label data comprises a package destination address and a service level and said assignment of packages to one of said preexisting delivery routes is based at least in part on said package destination address and said service level.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said shipping label data comprises a package destination address and a target delivery time and said assignment of packages to one of said preexisting delivery routes is based at least in part on said package destination address and said target delivery time.

12. A system for generating a manifest that lists one or more units of work that are scheduled to be completed on a preexisting route for a given day, said system comprising:

a data capture system that identifies locations where said one or more units of work are to be completed;

a work allocation system that assigns each of said units of work to one of a plurality of preexisting routes based at least in part on said identified locations;

a manifest generation application that monitors said assignments of said units of work and generates said manifest for each of said plurality of preexisting routes; and

a portable computing device associated with one or more of said plurality of preexisting routes that receives said manifest in an electronic format.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a route manager that controls a download of said manifest to said portable computing device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said portable computing device receives said manifest via wireless transmission.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said portable computing device receives said manifest via an IrDA interface.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said portable computing device is configured to display said manifest to a user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said portable computing device is configured to display said units of work in a sequence that said units of work are to be completed in accordance with said preexisting route.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said portable computing device includes a microprocessor, a memory, a display, an input device, an I/O interface and a clock.

19. A system for generating a manifest that lists units of work that are to be completed on one of a plurality of preexisting routes, wherein each of said preexisting routes lists a plurality locations in a geographic area and a predetermined order to be used to service said locations, said system comprising:

a data capture system that identifies a plurality of locations where said units of work are to be completed;

a work allocation system that assigns each of said units of work to one of a plurality of preexisting routes based at least in part on said identified location of said unit of work;

a manifest generation application that monitors said assignments of each of said units of work and generates said manifest for each of said plurality of preexisting routes; and

a portable computing device associated with each of said preexisting routes that receives said manifest for said preexisting route to which said portable computing device is associated.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a time deadline for completing a unit of work is associated with some or all of said units of work.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said portable computing device is configured to adjust said predetermined order to meet one or more of said time deadlines.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said portable computing device is equipped with a timing device that allows it to track an amount of time remaining before the expiration of a pending time deadline that is associated with one or more of said units of work.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said portable computing device is equipped with a timing device that is capable of determining a current time.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said portable computing device is configured to move a unit of work higher in said predetermined order if said unit of work has an associated time deadline and said time deadline is within a predetermined range of said current time.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein said portable computing device is configured to analyze said manifest and to display a next unit of work to be completed in accordance with said predetermined order.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein said portable computing device is configured to update said manifest in response to an addition of a new unit of work or a change to an existing unit of work.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein said portable computing device is equipped with a wireless device through which said portable computing device can receive updates to said manifest.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein said portable computing device is equipped with an IrDA interface through which said portable computing device can receive updates to said manifest.