COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR ROUTING PACKAGE DELIVERIES
First Claim
1. A combined carrier shipping system for shipping a plurality of packages, said combined carrier shipping system comprising:
- a first carrier physical delivery system configured to deliver one of the packages to a consignee location;
a second carrier physical delivery system also configured to deliver said one of the packages to the consignee location; and
a shipment ordering system connected in communication with the first carrier physical delivery system, wherein the shipment ordering system is configured to;
record a request to ship the package and package information associated with the package, said package information including at least the consignee location for delivery of the package,determine whether the consignee location meets a stored condition for single carrier delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system,in response to the single carrier condition being met, initiate delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system from a starting location to the consignee location, andin response to the single carrier condition not being met, initiate delivery of the package by the first carrier physical delivery system from the starting location to an intermediate location for further delivery by the second carrier physical delivery system to the consignee location.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package. The shipping system also includes an information system having a shipper computer system configured to record and determine whether the delivery address of a package is an efficient destination for the first carrier. If not an efficient destination, such as a delivery address having a rural zip code, the shipper computer system is configured to label the package for delivery to one of the transfer locations, allowing the first carrier to transfer the selected package to the second carrier for completion of the less efficient portion of the delivery.
119 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A combined carrier shipping system for shipping a plurality of packages, said combined carrier shipping system comprising:
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a first carrier physical delivery system configured to deliver one of the packages to a consignee location; a second carrier physical delivery system also configured to deliver said one of the packages to the consignee location; and a shipment ordering system connected in communication with the first carrier physical delivery system, wherein the shipment ordering system is configured to; record a request to ship the package and package information associated with the package, said package information including at least the consignee location for delivery of the package, determine whether the consignee location meets a stored condition for single carrier delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system, in response to the single carrier condition being met, initiate delivery by the first carrier physical delivery system from a starting location to the consignee location, and in response to the single carrier condition not being met, initiate delivery of the package by the first carrier physical delivery system from the starting location to an intermediate location for further delivery by the second carrier physical delivery system to the consignee location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A shipping information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said shipping information system comprising:
a shipper information system configured to record package information, including a consignee address of the package, and to compare the consignee address to a stored delivery area of the first carrier, said shipper computer system further configured to generate, in response to determining that the consignee address is not within the stored delivery area of the first carrier, a combined shipping label image containing the package information, a first carrier tracking symbol, a second carrier tracking symbol and an address of an intermediate location at which the second carrier is configured to obtain the package and complete delivery to the consignee address. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A combined carrier shipping system for shipping a plurality of packages, said combined carrier shipping system comprising:
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a primary carrier physical delivery system; one or more secondary carrier physical delivery systems; and a shipment ordering system connected in communication with the primary carrier physical delivery system, wherein the shipment ordering system is configured to; record a request to ship one of the packages and package information associated with the package, said package information including at least a consignee location for delivery of the package, determine whether the consignee location meets a stored efficiency condition for single carrier delivery by the primary carrier physical delivery system, in response to the single carrier efficiency condition being met, initiate delivery by the primary carrier physical delivery system from a starting location to the consignee location, and in response to the single carrier efficiency condition not being met, initiate delivery of the package by the primary carrier physical delivery system from the starting location to an intermediate location for further delivery by one or more of the secondary carrier physical delivery systems to the consignee location. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A shipping information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said shipping information system comprising:
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a shipper information system configured to record package information, including a consignee address of the package, and to compare the consignee address to a stored delivery area of the first carrier, said shipper computer system further configured to generate, in response to determining that the consignee address is not within the stored delivery area of the first carrier, a combined shipping label image containing the package information, a first carrier tracking symbol, a second carrier tracking symbol and an address of an intermediate location at which the second carrier is capable of obtaining the package and completing delivery to the consignee address; and a first carrier information system comprising; a package information system connected in communication with the shipper information system and configured to obtain the package information, the first carrier tracking symbol and the second carrier tracking symbol from the shipper information system; a tracking system connected in communication with a first scanning device positioned at the intermediate location and a second scanning device positioned at a shipper location, said tracking system configured to determine when the first scanning device has scanned the first carrier tracking symbol of the package at the intermediate location and also configured to determine when the second scanning device has scanned at least one of the tracking symbols of the package at the shipper location as the package is being returned; and a verification system connected in communication with the package information system and the tracking system, said verification system configured to obtain package information and tracking information from the respective systems and of using the first carrier tracking symbol to combine the package information and tracking information into a billing manifest, said verification system also configured to later modify the billing manifest upon receipt of tracking information indicating scanning of the package at the shipper location by the second scanning device due to return of the package to the shipper location. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A carrier information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said carrier information system comprising
a package information system configured to communicate with a shipper and receiving package information, a first carrier tracking symbol and a second carrier tracking symbol from the shipper; -
a tracking system connected in communication with at least a first scanning device positioned at an intermediate location and a second scanning device positioned at a shipper location, said tracking system configured to determine when the first scanning device has scanned the first carrier tracking symbol of the package at the intermediate location prior to release to the second carrier, said tracking system also configured to determine whether the second scanning device has scanned at least one of the first carrier tracking symbol and the second carrier tracking symbol of the package at the shipper location as the package is being returned; and a verification system connected in communication with the package information system and the tracking system, said verification system configured to obtain package information and tracking information from the respective systems and of using the first carrier tracking symbol to combine the package information and tracking information into an initial billing manifest, said verification system also configured to later modify the billing manifest upon receipt of tracking information indicating scanning of the package at the shipper location by the second scanning device due to return of the package to the shipper location. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A shipping information system for facilitating shipping of one or more packages by a first and second carriers, said shipping information system comprising:
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a package information system configured to communicate with a shipper and receiving package information and a first carrier tracking symbol from the shipper; a tracking system connected in communication with a first carrier scanning device positioned at least at an intermediate location, said tracking system configured to determine whether the scanning device has scanned the first carrier tracking symbol of the package at the intermediate location indicating release of the package to the second carrier; and a verification system connected in communication with the package information system and the tracking system, said verification system configured to obtain package information and tracking information from the respective systems and to use the first carrier tracking symbol to combine the package information and tracking information into a billing manifest for submission to the second carrier. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification