ARRANGING FOR SHIPMENT OF A PACKAGE WITHOUT GENERATING A SHIPPING LABEL

• US 20130284800A1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: GILLEN, ROBERT J., LEWIS, MARK S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,016,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for arranging for shipping a package without the customer needing to generate or apply a shipping label, or any other information, to the package. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a carrier server and a carrier device. The carrier server may receive and store a smart code and shipping information associated with the package, which it may link together. The carrier device may capture the smart code from the package and send a request, including the smart code, to the carrier server for related shipping information. The carrier server may receive the request from the carrier device, retrieve the shipping information based on the smart code, and send the shipping information to the carrier device. The carrier device may receive the shipping information and generate a shipping label for the package based on the shipping information.

Claims

1. A mobile device for arranging shipment of a package, the mobile device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to at least:

provide an interface for inputting shipping information associated with shipment of the package;

receive input of shipping information from a user;

capture an indication of a smart code associated with the package; and

transmit the shipping information and data associated with the smart code to a carrier server to be stored in association with each other.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

determine a geographic location of the mobile device; and

identify a carrier drop-off location proximate the geographic location of the mobile device for providing the package to the carrier.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the mobile device to:

receive login information related to a user profile;

retrieve previously stored shipping information from the user profile; and

populate the interface with the retrieved shipping information.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without associating further information with the package.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein capturing the indication of the smart code further comprises:

capturing an image of a smart code representation printed on the package; and

determining the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the smart code representation comprises an encoded version of the smart code, and wherein determining the smart code further comprises decoding the encoded version of the smart code.

7. A carrier server for facilitating the shipment of a package comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to at least:

receive shipping information and an indication of a smart code associated with the package from a user device;

store at least one of the shipping information and the smart code;

link the shipping information to the smart code;

receive a request for shipping information for the package from a carrier device, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code associated with the package;

retrieve the shipping information associated with the package based at least in part on the smart code; and

transmit the shipping information to the carrier device.

8. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to:

determine the smart code based at least in part on the indication of the smart code received.

9. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to:

receive a request from the user to schedule pick-up of the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the location of the package; and

arrange for dispatch of a carrier vehicle to the location to pick up the package.

10. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without obtaining further information from the package.

11. The carrier server of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier server to:

verify the validity of the smart code.

12. A carrier device for facilitating the shipment of a package comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier device to at least:

capture an indication of a smart code associated with the package;

transmit a request to a carrier server for shipping information associated with the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code;

receive the shipping information from the carrier server; and

generate a shipping label for the package based at least in part on the shipping information.

13. The carrier device of claim 12, wherein capturing the indication of the smart code further comprises:

capturing an image of a smart code representation printed on the package; and

determining the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

14. The carrier device of claim 12, wherein the shipping information received from the carrier server is sufficient to generate the shipping label for the package without obtaining further information from the package.

15. The carrier device of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier device to:

print the shipping label so that the shipping label can be applied to the package.

16. The carrier device of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier device to:

disassociate the shipping information from the smart code after generating the shipping label.

17. The carrier device of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the carrier device to:

disassociate the shipping information from the smart code after the package is delivered.

18. A system for facilitating the shipment of a package, wherein the system comprises:

a carrier server; and

a carrier device;

wherein the carrier server is configured to receive shipping information and an indication of a smart code associated with the package from a user device, store at least one of the shipping information and the smart code, and link the shipping information to the smart code;

wherein the carrier device is configured to capture an indication of a smart code associated with the package, and transmit a request to the carrier server for shipping information associated with the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code;

wherein the carrier server is further configured to receive the request for shipping information from the carrier device, retrieve the shipping information associated with the package based at least in part on the smart code, and transmit the shipping information to the carrier device; and

wherein the carrier device is further configured to receive the shipping information from the carrier server, and generate a shipping label for the package based at least in part on the shipping information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to provide an interface for inputting shipping information associated with shipment of the package, receive input of shipping information from a user, capture an indication of a smart code associated with the package, and transmit the shipping information and the smart code to the carrier server.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for providing an interface for inputting shipping information associated with shipment of the package;

code for receiving input of shipping information from a user;

code for capturing an indication of a smart code associated with the package; and

code for transmitting the shipping information and the smart code to a carrier server to be stored in association with each other.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

code for determining a geographic location of the mobile device; and

code for identifying a carrier drop-off location proximate the geographic location of the mobile device for providing the package to the carrier.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the shipping application is further configured to:

code for receiving login information related to a user profile;

code for retrieving previously stored shipping information from the user profile; and

code for populating the interface with the retrieved shipping information.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without associating further information with the package.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein code for capturing the indication of the smart code further comprises:

code for capturing an image of a smart code representation printed on the package; and

code for determining the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the smart code representation comprises an encoded version of the smart code, and wherein code for determining the smart code further comprises code for decoding the encoded version of the smart code.

26. A method for facilitating the shipment of a package, the method comprising:

receiving shipping information and an indication of a smart code associated with the package from a user device;

storing at least one of the shipping information and the smart code;

linking the shipping information to the smart code;

receiving a request for shipping information for the package from a carrier device, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code associated with the package;

retrieving the shipping information associated with the package based at least in part on the smart code; and

transmitting the shipping information to the carrier device.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining the smart code based at least in part on the indication of the smart code received.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to schedule pick-up of the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the location of the package; and

arranging for dispatch of a carrier vehicle to the location to pick up the package.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the shipping information is sufficient to generate a shipping label for the package without obtaining further information from the package.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

verifying the validity of the smart code.

31. A method for facilitating the shipment of a package, the method comprising:

capturing an indication of a smart code associated with the package;

transmitting a request to a carrier server for shipping information associated with the package, wherein the request comprises an indication of the smart code;

receiving the shipping information from the carrier server; and

generating a shipping label for the package based at least in part on the shipping information.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein capturing the indication of the smart code further comprises:

capturing an image of a smart code representation printed on the package; and

determining the smart code based at least in part on the captured image of the smart code representation.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the shipping information received from the carrier server is sufficient to generate the shipping label for the package without obtaining further information from the package.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

printing the shipping label so that the shipping label can be applied to the package.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

disassociating the shipping information from the smart code after generating the shipping label.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

disassociating the shipping information from the smart code after the package is delivered.