TECHNIQUES FOR PROCESSING CUSTOMER SERVICE TRANSACTIONS AT CUSTOMER SITE USING MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20100332402A1
• Filed: 09/06/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JUNE RAY LIMITED
• Original Assignee: Christopher Kantarjiev, Louis H. Borders, Shankar Unni
• Inventors: Kantarjiev, Christopher, Borders, Louis H., Unni, Shankar
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/304
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating delivery and adjustments of customer orders at a customer delivery site. A delivery courier is assigned a mobile field computing device for facilitating delivery and order adjustments of customer orders associated with that courier'"'"'s delivery route. The mobile field computing device includes memory for storing customer order history data and delivery route data downloaded from a server system. The delivery route data stored in the mobile field computing device may be used by the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the customer orders. Further, the delivery courier may use the mobile field computing device to process a variety of different order adjustment transactions at a customer delivery site.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device for use by a delivery courier, said mobile computing device comprising:

a processing unit configured to control operation of said mobile computing device;

a display configured to present information to the delivery courier; and

a memory configured to store at least programming instructions executable by said processing unit, said memory storing at least;

programming instructions for accessing customer delivery information, the customer delivery information including at least one customer order to be delivered to a customer delivery stop corresponding to a customer, and customer billing data associated with the at least one customer order;

programming instructions for presenting at least a portion of the customer delivery information on said display; and

programming instructions for executing an adjustment transaction to the at least one customer order while at the customer delivery stop corresponding to the customer, the adjustment transaction resulting from receiving a request by the customer, and the adjustment transaction operating to modify at least a portion of the customer delivery information.

2. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile computing device further comprises:

a wireless interface configured to wirelessly transmit, to another computing device, delivery status information corresponding to a status of the delivery courier on a delivery route, wherein the delivery status information is generated by said mobile computing device.

3. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items, and

wherein the adjustment transaction modifies the at least one customer order by removing at least one of the ordered items from the at least one customer order.

4. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1,

wherein at least a portion of the customer billing data is modified based on the adjustment transaction, and

wherein said memory further stores:

programming instructions for presenting the modified customer billing data at the customer delivery stop via said display.

5. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 4, wherein the customer has an account, and wherein the updated customer data reflects a current balance due on the account of the customer following the adjustment transaction.

6. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 5, wherein said mobile computing device comprises:

a printer configured to print a receipt including at least a portion of the updated customer data at the customer delivery stop.

7. A mobile computing device as recited in of claim 6, wherein the receipt being printed via said printer is an updated receipt for the customer based on the updated customer data.

8. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory further stores:

program instructions for informing the delivery courier via said display and based on the customer delivery information that an identification check for proof of age is to be performed before delivery of the at least one customer order is completed.

9. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer delivery information includes delivery route data corresponding to a delivery route that includes the customer delivery stop.

10. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 9, wherein said method stores:

programming instructions for presenting on said display the delivery route data to facilitate delivery of the at least one customer order to the customer on the delivery route.

11. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory further stores:

programming instructions for recording at least a time related to an arrival time at the customer delivery stop and/or to a departure time from the customer delivery stop.

12. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory further stores:

programming instructions for recording a time related to the delivery courier delivering the customer order to the customer.

13. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the at least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items,

wherein the customer delivery information includes an identification check required indication if at least one of the ordered items of the at least one customer order requires an identification check, and

wherein said memory further stores:

programming instructions for informing the delivery courier, via the mobile computing device, that an identification check regarding proof of age is to be performed before delivery of the at least one customer order is completed if the customer delivery data includes the identification check required indication.

14. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the at least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items, and

wherein said programming instructions for presenting at least a portion of the customer delivery information comprises programming instructions for informing the delivery courier if the at least one customer order being delivered requires successful completion of an identification check in order for the at least one customer to receive at least one of the ordered items from the at least one customer order.

15. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory further stores:

programming instructions for informing the delivery courier via the mobile computing device that a customer signature is to be captured, the customer signature acknowledging delivery of the at least one customer order to the at least one customer.

16. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein said memory further stores:

programming instructions for capturing the customer signature using the mobile computing device; and

programming instructions for recording a time related to the customer signature captured.

17. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items, and

wherein said memory further stores:

programming instructions for processing, at the mobile computing device, a customer return of at least one of the ordered items of the at least one customer order.

18. A system for facilitating delivery comprising:

at least one server; and

a plurality of mobile computing devices, each of the mobile computing devices including at least one interface for communicating with the at least one server, and a memory configured to store customer delivery data loaded from the at least one server,

wherein each of said mobile computing devices is configured to assist a delivery courier in delivery of at least one customer order, which includes at least one ordered item, to at least one customer using the corresponding customer delivery data, and

wherein each of said mobile computing devices is configured to assist the delivery courier to execute an adjustment transaction using said mobile computing device to the at least one customer order, the adjustment transaction changing at least a portion of the at least one customer order.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the adjustment transaction executed on said mobile computing device operates to remove at least one item from the at least one customer order.

20. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the adjustment transaction executed on said mobile computing device operates to add at least one item to the at least one customer order.