Method and System for Delivering Shipping Information

• US 20110004562A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Heuchlow, Erin, Hennessy, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US12/809,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004562A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/333
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

The invention relates generally to logistics systems and methods. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and a corresponding computer system for delivering shipping information, comprising—automatically detecting that a user at a front-end of a telephone channel is eligible to receive information about a shipment still in transit to the user; —obtaining user information by an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) interface; —obtaining shipping information associated with said shipment; —based on said shipping information automatically generating a telephony message incorporating the current status of the shipment and sending it to the user.

Claims

1. A method for delivering shipping information, comprising

automatically detecting that a user at a front-end of a telephone channel wants to receive information about a shipment still in transit to the user;

obtaining user information by an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) interface;

obtaining shipping information associated with said shipment;

automatically generating a telephony message based on said shipping information incorporating the current status of the shipment and sending it to the user.

2. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

said telephony message is a spoken telephony message, preferably using speech automation, a message of the short message service (SMS) type or multimedia message service (MMS) type.

3. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

said telephony message is sent to the cellular phone of said user.

4. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

said user is asked to choose between spoken telephony message, a message of the short message service (SMS) type and a message of the multimedia message service (MMS) type.

5. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

said telephony message is sent each time the status of the shipment has changed.

6. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

said telephony message further comprises the expected time of delivery of said shipment.

7. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

said telephone message is sent when said shipment is delivered.

8. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the method comprises the further step of accessing pre-existing account information associated with said user.

9. A system for delivering shipping information, comprising

means for automatically detecting that a user at a front-end of a telephone channel is eligible to receive information about a shipment still in transit to that user;

(If eligible, then offer).

means for obtaining user information by an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) interface;

means for obtaining shipping information associated with sais shipment;

means for automatically generating a telephony message incorporating the current status of the shipment and for sending said telephony message to the user.

10. The system according to claim 9,

characterized in that,

wherein the computer system comprises means for automatically generating a telephony message in form of a spoken telephony message, preferably using speech automation, a message of the short message service type (SMS) or multimedia message service (MMS).

11. The system according to claim 9,

characterized in that,

wherein the computer system comprises means for calculating an expected time of delivery of said shipment.