Advertisement-Supported Shipping

• US 20090076918A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Overnightmedia LLC
• Original Assignee: Adship, LLC
• Inventors: Blanchet, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US12/233,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076918A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.260
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds

Abstract

A server accepts shipping information from would-be shippers, advertising information from would-be advertisers, and correlates the two to match up an advertiser with a suitable shipper. The server contacts a carrier with the shipping information to obtain a shipping label and tracking number, and forwards this to the shipper, together with the advertisement. The shipper places the advertisement within the package, and provides the package to the carrier for delivery. The server sends one or more tracking messages to the recipient, which contain tracking information and an advertisement. The advertiser pays an advertising fee, which is used to provide a reward to the shipper for carrying the advertisement.

Claims

1. A method for shipping a package comprising:

accepting shipping information from at least a shipper wanting to ship a package;

accepting advertising information from at least an advertiser;

utilizing at least a portion of the shipping information to obtain a shipping label and a tracking number from a carrier;

providing to the shipper the shipping label and at least an advertisement obtained from first advertising information obtained from a first advertiser; and

sending a first notification message to a recipient of the package, the first notification message comprising shipping status information for the package and an advertisement obtained from the first advertising information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing the tracking number to obtain tracking information from the carrier; and

sending a second notification message to the recipient comprising shipping status information obtained at least in part from the tracking information, and further comprising an advertisement obtained from the first advertising information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing the tracking number to obtain tracking information from the carrier; and

sending a second notification message to the recipient comprising shipping status information obtained at least in part from the tracking information, and further comprising an advertisement obtained from second advertising information of a second advertiser that is not the same as the first advertiser.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to receiving a request from the recipient, sending a second notification message to the recipient, the second notification message comprising shipping status information and an advertisement obtained from the first advertising information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first and second notification messages are each selected from the set consisting of a facsimile transmission, an email message, a web page, a cell phone message (SMS message), a message carried by an instant messaging service, and a telephonic message.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second notification message is a web page and the first notification message is an email.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising instructing the shipper to print out the advertisement provided to the shipper and place the advertisement inside the package.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing demographic information contained in the shipping information and in the first advertising information to select the first advertising information from a plurality of advertising information records.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing one or more of a reward fee and a shipping rate discount to the shipper, the one or more of the reward fee and the shipping rate discount obtained from an advertising fee in the first advertising information.

10. A system for providing shipping and advertising services, the system comprising:

at least a processor;

memory in communications with the processor, the memory comprising program code executable by the processor to perform the following steps;

accepting shipping information from at least a shipper wanting to ship a package;

accepting advertising information from at least an advertiser;

utilizing at least a portion of the shipping information to obtain a shipping label and a tracking number from a carrier;

providing to the shipper the shipping label and at least an advertisement obtained from first advertising information obtained from a first advertiser; and

sending a first notification message to a recipient of the package, the first notification message comprising shipping status information for the package and an advertisement obtained from the first advertising information;

a database for storing the shipping information and the advertising information.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the program code further performs the following steps:

utilizing the tracking number to obtain tracking information from the carrier; and

sending a second notification message to the recipient comprising shipping status information obtained at least in part from the tracking information, and further comprising an advertisement obtained from the first advertising information.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the program code further performs the following steps:

utilizing the tracking number to obtain tracking information from the carrier; and

sending a second notification message to the recipient comprising shipping status information obtained at least in part from the tracking information, and further comprising an advertisement obtained from second advertising information of a second advertiser that is not the same as the first advertiser.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the program code further performs the following step:

in response to receiving a request from the recipient, sending a second notification message to the recipient, the second notification message comprising shipping status information and an advertisement obtained from the first advertising information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first and second notification messages are each selected from the set consisting of a facsimile transmission, an email message, a web page, a cell phone message (SMS message), a message carried by an instant messaging service, and a telephonic message.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the second notification message is a web page and the first notification message is an email.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the program code further performs the following step:

instructing the shipper to print out the advertisement provided to the shipper and place the advertisement inside the package.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the program code further performs the following step:

utilizing demographic information contained in the shipping information and in the first advertising information to select the first advertising information from a plurality of advertising information records stored in the database.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the program code further performs the following step:

computing one or more of a reward fee and a shipping rate discount for the shipper, the one or more of the reward fee and the shipping rate discount obtained from an advertising fee in the first advertising information.