Systems and methods for processing and tracking items

• US 20080033848A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hosecloth Thomas, Prathmesh Shah
• Original Assignee: Hosecloth Thomas, Prathmesh Shah
• Inventors: Hosecloth, Thomas, Shah, Prathmesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking items are provided. According to one method, a dispatcher receives from a courier, serving a customer, a request over a network to pickup an item addressed to the customer. A determination is made to see whether the dispatcher is available to process the item. If the dispatcher is available, the dispatcher notifies the courier, over the network, that the item is available for pickup by the courier when the dispatcher completes processing of the item. If the dispatcher is busy, the dispatcher notifies the courier, over the network, that the item is available for pick up by the courier at a later time.

Claims

1. A method for processing items, the method comprising:

sending a request, from a courier to a dispatcher over a network, to pick up one or more items addressed to at least one customer which the courier serves;

receiving the request and determining whether the dispatcher is available to process the one or more items;

if the dispatcher is available, notifying the courier, by the dispatcher over the network, that the one or more items are available for pickup when the dispatcher completes processing of the one or more items; and

if the dispatcher is busy, notifying the courier, by the dispatcher over the network, that the one or more items will be available for pickup by the courier at a later time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

picking up the one or more items by the courier and tracking the items picked up by the at least one courier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein tracking comprises:

storing information concerning the items picked up by the courier on a storage medium.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein tracking comprises storing information within the network concerning items remaining to be picked up by the courier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating reports concerning the items available for pickup.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the courier includes providing an estimated later time for pickup to the courier.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating reports concerning the items picked up by the courier.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising assigning at least one color-coded bag to the courier for storing misdirected items.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving misdirected items from the at least one courier.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining one or more reasons for the misdirection.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising

scheduling at least one time for pickup by the courier based on a flow pattern of one or more items for the at least one customer served by the courier.

12. A method for processing items, the method comprising:

receiving from a courier serving at least one customer, a request over a network to pick up one or more items addressed to the at least one customer;

receiving over the network information concerning availability of at least one dispatcher to process the one or more items addressed to the at least one customer;

if the at least one dispatcher is available, providing a notification to the at least one courier, over the network, that the one or more items are available for pickup by the at least one courier when the at the least one dispatcher completes processing the one or more items; and

if the at least one dispatcher is busy, providing a notification to the at least one courier, over the network, that the one or more items are available for pickup by the at least one courier at a later time.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising picking up the one or more items by the courier and tracking a number of the items picked up by the courier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein tracking comprises:

storing information concerning the one or more items picked up by the courier on a storage medium.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein tracking comprises storing information within the network concerning items remaining to be picked up by the courier.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising generating reports concerning the one or more items available for pickup.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating reports concerning the one or more items picked up by the courier.

18. A system for processing items, the system comprising:

means for receiving from at least one courier serving at least one customer a request over a network to pick up one or more items addressed to the at least one customer;

means for receiving over the network information concerning the availability of at least one dispatcher to process the one or more items addressed to the at least one customer;

means for providing a notification over the network to the at least one courier that one or more items are available for pickup by the at least one courier when the at least one dispatcher completes processing the one or more items; and

means for providing a notification over the network to the at least one courier that the one or more items are available for pickup by the at least one courier at a later time.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising means for picking up the one or more items by the courier and means for tracking a number of the items picked up by the at least one courier.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein tracking comprises means for storing information concerning the items picked up by the at least one courier.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein tracking comprises means for storing information concerning one or more items remaining to be picked up by the at least courier.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for generating reports concerning the one or more items picked up by the at least one courier.

23. A system comprising:

a memory including code that;

receives from at least one courier serving at least one customer a request, over a network, to pickup one or more items addressed to the at least one customer,

receives over the network information concerning the availability of at least one dispatcher to process the one or more items addressed to the at least one customer, wherein processed items are available for pickup by the courier and processing tracks the items to at least the courier,

if the at least one dispatcher is available, provides a notification over the network to the at least one courier that one or more items are available for pickup by the at least one courier when the at least one dispatcher completes processing the one or more items, and

if the at least one dispatcher is busy, provides a notification over the network to the at least one courier that one or more items are available for pickup by the at least one courier at a later time; and

a processor that executes the code.