SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING PERSONALIZED DELIVERY SERVICES

• US 20130297526A1
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• 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: KLINGENBERG, ROBERT LEE, RIZZO, JOE, SHROFF, SUMEET PRADEEP
• Granted Patent: US 10,134,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/337
• 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 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• 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 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing personalized delivery services by a carrier providing a package delivery service. For example, a consignee may indicate a delivery preference to be applied to delivery of a package, such as indicating a specific location where the package is to be left upon delivery, if the consignee is not present to accept the package. In one embodiment, the consignee may be notified by the carrier of the scheduled delivery of the package, and may be linked to the carrier'"'"'s web site to indicate a delivery preference. Alternatively, the delivery preference may be indicated by the consignee proactively accessing the web site. After conveying a delivery preference, the carrier'"'"'s systems communicate the delivery preference at the appropriate time to a portable computing device which informs the delivery personnel of the consignee'"'"'s delivery preference. Other embodiments allow the consignor to indicate delivery preferences.

Claims

1. A method for providing an instruction for delivering an item to a customer by a carrier, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, at least one instruction for delivering a package to be delivered by a carrier to a customer, the at least one instruction (a) comprising information for delivering the package at a delivery location for the customer and (b) provided by the customer (i) after shipment of the package to the customer and (ii) prior to a first delivery attempt of the package by the carrier; and

transmitting, by the computing system, at least a portion of the at least one delivery instruction to a portable computing device for display by the portable computing device to delivery personnel for delivering the package in accordance with the at least one instruction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the at least one delivery instruction in association with shipping information corresponding to the package.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the at least one delivery instruction in association with a profile corresponding to the customer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, via the portable computing device, the at least a portion of the at least one delivery instruction; and

causing display, via the portable computing device, of the at least a portion of the at least one delivery instruction to delivery personnel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one instruction is a default instruction for deliveries of future packages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one instruction is a default instruction for a designated timeframe.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing notification preferences for providing information to the customer regarding the package to be delivered to the customer, the notification preferences (a) identifying at least one communication format and at least one corresponding electronic destination address to be used in providing the information to the customer and (b) comprising a time period prior to the first delivery attempt of the package in which a message providing the information is to be transmitted to the at least one corresponding electronic destination address;

generating the message providing the information regarding the package to be delivered to the customer; and

transmitting the message to the at least one corresponding electronic destination address prior to the first delivery attempt of the package to the customer based at least in part on the notification preferences.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one communication format is selected from the group consisting of an email message, a short message service message, an automated voice telephone call message, a facsimile message, a hosted web site message, and an instant messaging.

9. A system comprising (1) a carrier computing system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory and (2) a portable computing device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory:

wherein the carrier computing system is configured to;

receive at least one instruction for delivering a package to be delivered by a carrier to a customer, the at least one instruction (a) comprising information for delivering the package at a delivery location for the customer and (b) provided by the customer (i) after shipment of the package to the customer and (ii) prior to a first delivery attempt of the package by the carrier, and

transmit at least a portion of the at least one delivery instruction to a portable computing device for display by the portable computing device to delivery personnel for delivering the package in accordance with the at least one instruction.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the carrier computing system is further configured to store the at least one delivery instruction in association with shipping information corresponding to the package.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the carrier computing system is further configured to store the at least one delivery instruction in association with a profile corresponding to the customer.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the portable computing device is configured to:

receive the at least a portion of the at least one delivery instruction, and

cause of the at least a portion of the at least one delivery instruction to delivery personnel.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one instruction is a default instruction for deliveries of future packages.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one instruction is a default instruction for a designated timeframe.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the carrier computing system is further configured to:

store notification preferences for providing information to the customer regarding the package to be delivered to the customer, the notification preferences (a) identifying at least one communication format and at least one corresponding electronic destination address to be used in providing the information to the customer and (b) comprising a time period prior to the first delivery attempt of the package in which a message providing the information is to be transmitted to the at least one corresponding electronic destination address,

generate the message providing the information regarding the package to be delivered to the customer, and

transmit the message to the at least one corresponding electronic destination address prior to the first delivery attempt of the package to the customer based at least in part on the notification preferences.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one communication format is selected from the group consisting of an email message, a short message service message, an automated voice telephone call message, a facsimile message, a hosted web site message, and an instant messaging.