Method and system for transmitting notifications to users of a logistic system

• US 20060085273A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Mayer, Boris, Santel, Johannes
• Application Number:
  US10/524,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085273A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting notifications to users of a logistic system. Different events within the logistic system are used to call up different modules having respectively associated functions. The modules produce notification orders which are transmitted to a central sending component, which produces notifications which correspond to orders and sends said notifications to the users.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method of transmitting notifications to users of a logistic system,

said logistic system comprising at least one parcel compartment system with at least one registered user, wherein notification orders are transmitted to a central sending component which, on the basis of the notification orders, accesses at least one database and generates and sends appropriate notifications to the user, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) calling up different modules with associated functions in response to different events within the logistic system, said modules being selected from the group consisting of a client database, a registration unit, and a system administration unit for the logistic system;

(b) generating notification orders by the modules;

(c)(i) transferring the notification orders to the central sending component so the orders can be sent immediately;

or,

(ii) writing the notification orders into a communication request queue so the orders can be sent in a deferred manner; and

reading the orders from the communication request queue by a queue reader in a timer-controlled manner and transferring the orders to the central sending component;

(d) generating appropriate user-specific notifications by the central sending component; and

,

(e) sending said notifications to the user by the central sending unit via a gateway;

wherein said generating step includes accessing at least one client database, a parcel database, an automatic parcel delivery machine database, and a document database by the central sending component, wherein said method further includes the step of validating the status of the notification orders in a delivery contract logic before transferring the notification orders to the central sending component.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising the step of allocating client data, parcel data, and parcel compartment system data in the databases by means of IDs.

20. The method claim 18, wherein the events in the logistic system comprise at least the following:

registration of the new user

change in the user data

placement of a new parcel in a parcel compartment system

picking up a parcel from a parcel compartment system

sending back a parcel

adding a substitute for pick-up of a parcel

removing a substitute.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising the step of sending the notifications to the users in the form of at least one of e-mail and SMS.

22. A device for transmitting notifications to users of a logistic system that operates one or more parcel compartment systems, wherein the logistic system comprises modules having functions for generating notification orders, of a central sending component, of a communication request queue, of a document database with templates for generating individual notifications for the specific users, of a client database with information about clients, of a parcel database with information about parcels, of an automatic parcel delivery machine database with information about parcel compartment systems and of a gateway for sending the notifications, wherein the modules are one or more of a client database, a registration unit and a system administration unit for the logistic system.