APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ONLINE, MULTI-PARCEL, MULTI-CARRIER, MULTI-SERVICE PARCEL RETURNS SHIPPING MANAGEMENT

• US 20100131420A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldhaber, Lynn Shaindell, Dietz, John M,, McLaughlin, Paul R., Teglovic, Stephen M., Glavin, Dennis, Liu, Jinyue, Bennett, David Allison, Mentzer, Charles D., Bilibin, Paul, Bean, Scott Joseph, Meyer, Scott, Krett, Lory Elizabeth, Smith, William W. III, Williams, Daniel F., Hu, Sean, Antush, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer system (the “System”, or the “Return System”) that is configured and programmed to provide online stores with a fast, simple, convenient way for eCommerce customers of an online store to return merchandise purchased from that store from within that online store. The Return System provides multi-carrier shipment rating, shipment labeling, shipment tracking, shipment tracking management reports, returns analysis and returns management reporting In an exemplary embodiment, the Return System has three major components: 1.) A Returns Manager Subsystem that provides a user interface to each Merchant to setup the Merchant'"'"'s account, setup the Merchant'"'"'s return policy and rules, and to monitor the status and movement of return shipments; 2.) A Consumer Returns Subsystem (also sometimes referred to as a “Customer Returns Subsystem”) that provides each consumer using the Returns System with an online user interface that leads the consumer through the returns process, displays the return policies and rules to the consumer, provides shipping document to ship the return package if appropriate, and permits the consumer to track their return shipments; and 3.) a Returns Processing Subsystem that, in the exemplary embodiment, provides background shipping and tracking functionality. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the Online Merchant integrates the Merchant'"'"'s online system with the Returns Processing Subsystem. In another exemplary embodiment, the Returns Processing Subsystem is provided as an independent web-based application service (referred to as a “Return Merchant Service System”) operated by a common provider. In such an embodiment, the Merchant'"'"'s system interacts with the Return Merchant Service System through Application Program Interfaces (“API”).

Claims

1-33. -33. (canceled)

34. An online merchandise return computer system, said computer system programmed to:

display a question from a set of return questions;

receive an answer input by a consumer in response to said question;

select from a set of return question responses corresponding to the question a return question response that corresponds to the answer; and

direct the computer system to execute each instruction in a set of instructions corresponding to the return question response that corresponds to the answer.

35. An online merchandise return computer system, said computer system programmed to:

process a merchandise return request by a consumer according to a set of instructions that correspond to a set of return question responses that correspond to each answer by the consumer to each return question asked by the computer system.

36. The online merchandise return computer system of claim 35, said computer system further programmed to:

recognize merchandise to be returned by the consumer according to product categories and product subcategories.

37. The online merchandise return computer system of claim 36, said computer system further programmed to:

execute exception instructions for merchandise comprising an exception product category.

38-71. -71. (canceled)

72. A method using a computer for online merchandise return shipping, said method comprising:

using the computer for displaying to a display device a set of return questions;

using the computer for receiving a set of answers input by a consumer in response to the set of return questions;

using the computer for selecting from a set of return question responses corresponding to the set of return questions, a first set of return question responses that corresponds to the set of answers; and

using the computer for directing the computer system to execute each instruction in a set of instructions corresponding to each return question response of the first set of return question responses that correspond to the answers.

73. The method of claim 72, said method further comprising:

using the computer for processing a merchandise return request by the consumer according to the set of instructions.

74. The method of claim 73, said method further comprising:

using the computer for recognizing an item of merchandise to be returned as identified by the consumer according to product categories and product subcategories.

75. The method of claim 74, said method further comprising:

using the computer for executing exception instructions for the item of merchandise, wherein the item of merchandise corresponds to an exception product category.

76. The method of claim 74, said method further comprising:

using the computer for executing exception instructions for merchandise, wherein the item of merchandise corresponds to an exception product subcategory.

77-169. -169. (canceled)