PARCEL CARRIER BILLING SERVICE

• US 20090132438A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, Jeff, Dunmire, David, Keith, Chad
• Application Number:
  US11/943,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132438A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/407
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4148 for controlling postal rate in articles to be mailed franking apparatus with means for computing G07B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3742 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00024 Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0004 Determining the location of mailpieces outside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0037 Calculation of postage value

Abstract

A parcel carrier billing service includes a mobile unit for processing received parcels. Shipment parameters are received and used in calculating a postage that is assessed to a user account. The user account may be for a service provider network account that provides multimedia content such as Internet protocol based television services or broadband services. Notifications to the shipping party and recipient of the parcel may be sent upon receiving the parcel by the service and upon delivery of the parcel. Notifications may be sent via email, text message, or instant message chat sessions, as examples.

Claims

1. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium, the computer program having instructions operable for:

receiving one or more shipping parameters associated with a parcel item, wherein the parcel item is from a user location, and wherein the user location is associated with an account;

calculating a postage for the parcel item based in part on the one or more received shipping parameters;

assessing the postage to the account;

notifying a recipient that the parcel item is destined for the recipient; and

notifying a user that the parcel item is destined for the recipient, wherein the user is associated with the account, and wherein the account is associated with providing multimedia content to the user location.

2. The computer program of claim 1, further having instructions operable for:

accessing a database for user preferences associated with the account; and

applying the user preferences to determine a mode of transportation for transporting the parcel.

3. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the one or more shipping parameters include a measured weight for the parcel item.

4. The computer program of claim 1, further having instructions operable for:

receiving a request to pick up the parcel item at the user location.

5. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the parcel item is received by a first transporting enterprise, and wherein the account is associated with a service provider network for providing multimedia content.

6. The computer program of claim 5, further having instructions operable for:

providing to the first transporting enterprise a monetary credit corresponding to the postage.

7. A method of processing postage charges for a transport service, the method comprising:

receiving a request to pick up a parcel at a site requested by a user;

receiving at least one shipment parameter for transporting the parcel;

calculating the postage charge, wherein the postage charge is based in part on the at least one shipment parameter and in part on at least one predetermined parameter;

assessing a postage charge to a user account, wherein the user account is associated with providing multimedia content to the site, and wherein assessing the postage charge to the user account includes a mobile module associated with the transport service communicating through a network with a billing module; and

receiving the parcel for transport.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the parcel is a letter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the parcel includes clothes.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the parcel is a package.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

accessing a database for stored preferences corresponding to the user.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

notifying the user upon the parcel being received for transport.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transport service is for delivering the parcel from a first location designated by the user to a second location, the method further comprising:

notifying a recipient associated with the second location upon the parcel being delivered to the second location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

notifying the recipient upon the parcel being received for transport.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

accessing one or more user preferences.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein notifying the user that the parcel has been received occurs by email.

17. A parcel carrier billing system comprising:

a mobile unit for processing a received parcel, wherein the received parcel is received from a location associated with a user, wherein the received parcel is for transport to a recipient, and wherein the mobile unit includes;

a data processing system enabled for;

processing at least one shipment parameter associated with the received parcel;

wherein the parcel carrier billing system includes software stored on a computer readable medium, the software having instructions operable for;

calculating a postage charge, wherein the postage charge is based in part on the at least one shipment parameter;

assessing the postage charge to an account associated with the user, wherein the account associated with the user is associated with providing multimedia content to the location associated with the user;

initiating notification to the user that the parcel has been received; and

initiating notification to the recipient that the parcel has been received.

18. The parcel carrier billing system of claim 17, wherein the mobile unit further includes:

a scale for weighing the received parcel, wherein the at least one shipment parameter includes a weight of the parcel.

19. The parcel carrier billing system of claim 17, wherein the at least one shipment parameter includes at least one size parameter of the parcel.

20. The parcel carrier billing system of claim 17, wherein the at least one shipment parameter includes a content type associated with the received parcel item.

21. The parcel carrier billing system of claim 17, wherein the software further has instructions operable for:

accessing one or more shipment preferences associated with the user; and

applying the shipment parameters to determine a mode of transportation for the parcel item.

22. The parcel carrier billing system of claim 17, wherein notification to the user that the parcel has been received is sent to an email address.