Automated item forwarding system and method
First Claim
1. A method of forwarding a rental item from a first renter of the item to a second renter of the item using a postal system wherein mail pieces are collected and shipped between a number of general mail facilities each corresponding to a geographical area in which mail is deposited for delivery and from which mail is shipped for delivery to recipient addresses served by each general mail facility comprising the steps of:
- a) having the first renter deposit the rental item for delivery in the postal system;
b) reading an indicia on the deposited rental item;
c) comparing the read indicia to a computerized list of forwarding delivery destinations, which list includes an entry corresponding to the indicia;
d) determining a forwarding delivery destination for the rental item which corresponds to the entry on the list;
e) correcting the delivery destination for the rental item which corresponds to the entry on the list; and
f) forwarding the rental item to the forwarding delivery destination from a general mail facility.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Rental items are directly forwarded from customer to custom using a method whereby a supplier'"'"'s computer communicates with a postal computer via an electronic link when an item identified with a unique machine readable code is returned by a customer to the postal service and identified with the code, the supplier computer'"'"'s accessing a customer database including customer orders and address information corresponding to the customer orders and selecting the next customer to receive the item then transmitting the address of the next customer to the postal computer for forwarding to the next customer.
32 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of forwarding a rental item from a first renter of the item to a second renter of the item using a postal system wherein mail pieces are collected and shipped between a number of general mail facilities each corresponding to a geographical area in which mail is deposited for delivery and from which mail is shipped for delivery to recipient addresses served by each general mail facility comprising the steps of:
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a) having the first renter deposit the rental item for delivery in the postal system;
b) reading an indicia on the deposited rental item;
c) comparing the read indicia to a computerized list of forwarding delivery destinations, which list includes an entry corresponding to the indicia;
d) determining a forwarding delivery destination for the rental item which corresponds to the entry on the list;
e) correcting the delivery destination for the rental item which corresponds to the entry on the list; and
f) forwarding the rental item to the forwarding delivery destination from a general mail facility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of utilizing a postal service to forward an item for use by multiple customers that receive the item sequentially, comprising:
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a) depositing the item with the postal service for forwarding to a customer;
b) receiving a signal from the postal service, the signal including a code identifying the rental item;
c) comparing the code to entries in a computer-seachable database including a computerized list of customer orders for the item;
d) selecting a customer order from the list; and
e) transmitting a message to the postal service to forward the item to an address corresponding to the selected customer order. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of forwarding an item from a first customer to a second customer using a postal service, comprising the steps of:
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a) depositing the item with the postal service for forwarding to the first customer;
b) directing the first customer to return the item to the postal service; and
c) directing the postal service to forward the item directly to the address of the second customer when the item is returned to the postal service by the first customer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of forwarding a rental item from a first renter of the item to a second renter of the item comprising:
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providing a numbered, automated lock box wherein the first renter deposits the rental item;
transmitting a signal to a computer indicating that the rental item has been placed in the lock box, the signal including a code identifying the rental item;
updating a computer-searchable database to indicate the number of the lock box where the rental item is located;
transmitting a message to the second renter, the message including the number of the lock box;
opening the lock box when the second renter provides an access code. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of forwarding a rental item from a first renter of the item to a second renter of the item comprising:
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providing a first automated lock box wherein the first renter deposits the rental item after the first renter'"'"'s use of the rental item is concluded; and
transporting the rental item from the first lock box to a second automated lock box at which the second renter can retrieve the item.
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Specification