Techniques for processing customer service transactions at customer site using mobile computing device

• US 20060085250A1
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JUNE RAY LIMITED
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Kantarjiev, Christopher, Borders, Louis H., Unni, Shankar
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/11
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating delivery and adjustments of customer orders at a customer delivery site. A delivery courier is assigned a mobile field computing device for facilitating delivery and order adjustments of customer orders associated with that courier'"'"'s delivery route. The mobile field computing device includes memory for storing customer order history data and delivery route data downloaded from a server system. The delivery route data stored in the mobile field computing device may be used by the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the customer orders. Further, the delivery courier may use the mobile field computing device to process a variety of different order adjustment transactions at a customer delivery site.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating delivery of at least one customer order via a delivery courier that is assigned a delivery route, the at least one customer order including at least one ordered item, the method comprising:

providing a mobile computing device to the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the at least one customer order to at least one customer using customer delivery data;

executing an adjustment transaction using the mobile computing device at a customer delivery stop corresponding to the at least one customer;

downloading customer account information from the server computing device to the mobile computing device; and

displaying updated customer billing data at the customer delivery stop based on the customer account information and the adjustment transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a connection between the server computing device and the mobile computing device; and

downloading the customer delivery data from the server computing device to the mobile computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dispatching the delivery courier to deliver customer orders for the delivery route,

wherein the connection between the server computing device and the mobile computing device is implemented using a wireless communication protocol,

wherein the customer delivery data includes customer order history data for customers associated with the delivery route and further includes delivery route information corresponding to the delivery route, and

wherein the customer order history includes information relating to all items ordered by the customers within a specified time period.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying, using the mobile computing device, the delivery route information to the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of orders to customers on the delivery route.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording, at the mobile computing device, an arrival time at the customer delivery stop.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising recording, at the mobile computing device, a departure time from the customer delivery stop.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording, at the mobile computing device, a time related to the delivery courier delivering an order to a customer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting to the server computing device, via a wireless interface, delivery status information corresponding to a status of the delivery courier on the delivery route, wherein the delivery status information is generated by the mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising tracking the status of delivery resources using the transmitted delivery status information, wherein the delivery resources include at least one of the delivery courier and a delivery vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising printing a receipt at the customer delivery stop using the mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receipt being printed is a final receipt for the at least one customer based on the updated customer billing data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjustment transaction includes processing a transaction related to checking an identification.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjustment transaction includes capturing a customer signature.

14. A method for facilitating delivery of at least one customer order via a delivery courier that is assigned a delivery route, the at least one customer order including at least one ordered item, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a server computing device and a mobile computing device;

downloading customer delivery data from the server computing device to the mobile computing device;

facilitating delivery of the at least one customer order to at least one customer using the downloaded customer delivery data; and

informing the delivery courier via the mobile computing device that an identification check is to be performed before delivery of the at least one customer order is completed.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the mobile computing device automatically notifies the delivery courier when the at least one customer order being delivered requires an identification check in order for the at least one customer to receive one or more specific items from the at least one customer order.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more specific items are restricted items.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising informing the delivery courier via the mobile computing device that a customer signature is to be captured, the customer signature acknowledging delivery of the at least one customer order.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the mobile computing device is used to capture the customer signature as well as to record the time when the customer signature was captured.