SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR THE USE OF A MOBILE DEVICE TO GENERATE A SHIPPING LABEL

• US 20140279648A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patrick Whitehouse
• Original Assignee: Patrick Whitehouse
• Inventors: Whitehouse, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US13/843,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279648A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for a sender to use of a mobile device to interface with a shipping agent'"'"'s environment for the purpose of generating a shipping label. The sender can identify shipping label information through a software application operating on the sender'"'"'s mobile device. The application can facilitate the transfer of the shipping label information to the shipping agent'"'"'s environment, such as a kiosk or a retail counter, and the like. The shipping agent'"'"'s environment can then produce or print a hardcopy of the shipping label for use on the mail piece (e.g., parcel or package) to be shipped.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining a shipping label for a package, comprising:

identifying shipping label information with a mobile device;

transferring data representative of the shipping label information from the mobile device to a publicly accessible self-service kiosk; and

obtaining a hardcopy shipping label from the kiosk, wherein the hardcopy shipping label is based on the data representative of the shipping label information transferred from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipping label information comprises one or more of the following items:

intended recipient'"'"'s name, destination street address, destination city, destination state, destination country, destination ZIP5, name of return party, return street address, return city, return state, return country, return ZIP5, class of service, package insurance value, email address for tracking notification, phone number for sender, phone number for recipient, and package type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipping label information comprises all of the following:

intended recipient'"'"'s name, destination street address, destination city, destination state, and destination ZIP5.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipping label information comprises all of the following:

name of return party, return street address, return city, return state, and return ZIP5.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipping label information comprises all of the following:

intended recipient'"'"'s name, destination street address, destination city, destination state, destination ZIP5, name of return party, return street address, return city, return state, and return ZIP5.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring a device ID of the mobile device and a user name of the mobile device to the kiosk.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a 2-dimension barcode representative of the shipping label information, wherein transferring data representative of the shipping label information comprises scanning the 2-dimensional barcode at the kiosk.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer of data representative of the shipping label information to the kiosk is performed over an infrared communication link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer of data representative of the shipping label information to the kiosk is performed over a near-field communication link.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer of data representative of the shipping label information to the kiosk is performed over the internet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipping label information comprises a delivery address, the method further comprising validating the delivery address with a web service transaction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein validating the delivery address with a web service transaction comprises referencing the USPS national address database.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein validating the delivery address comprising appending a +4 character string to a ZIP5 character string.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying package contents and customs declaration data with the mobile device; and

transferring data representative of the package contents and customs declaration data to the kiosk.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring payment information to pay for the shipping label to the kiosk.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying shipping label information with a mobile device comprises identifying a contact as an intended recipient from a list of contacts displayed on the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising extracting the destination street address, destination city, destination state, and destination ZIP5 from the identified contact, wherein the shipping label information comprises the extracted information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying shipping label information with a mobile device comprises identifying an option from a stored set of options corresponding to one or more of the following:

a set of delivery address options, a set of return address options, a set of mail class options, a set of package type options, a set of special services options, and a set of insurance options.

19. A mobile device, comprising:

a display;

a user interface; and

a processor configured to run a mobile application, wherein the processor, when running the application, is configured to accept user input through the user interface that identifies shipping label information relating to the shipment of a mail piece, and display a barcode representative of the shipping label information on the display, the barcode being scannable in a shipping agent'"'"'s environment.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the display and user interface are combined as a touchscreen.

21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the shipping agent'"'"'s environment is a kiosk or a retail counter.

22. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the barcode is a two-dimensional barcode.

23. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the processor, when running the mobile application, is configured to interface with a database of user contacts stored in a memory of the mobile device and accept a user selection of a contact from the database as an identification of a destination address for the mail piece.

24. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the shipping label information comprises one or more of the following:

intended recipient'"'"'s name, destination street address, destination city, destination state, destination country, destination ZIP5, name of return party, return street address, return city, return state, return country, return ZIP5, class of service, package insurance value, email address for tracking notification, phone number for sender, phone number for recipient, and package type.

25. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the shipping label information comprises the minimum amount of information required by a shipping label to ship the mail piece.

26. A mobile device, comprising:

a shipping agent environment interface;

a user interface; and

a processor configured to run a mobile application, wherein the processor, when running the application, is configured to accept user input through the user interface that identifies shipping label information relating to the shipment of a mail piece, and transfer data representative of the shipping label information to a shipping agent'"'"'s environment through the shipping agent environment interface.

27. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the shipping agent'"'"'s environment is a kiosk or a retail counter.

28. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the shipping agent environment interface is either an infrared communication interface or a near field communication (NFC) interface.

29. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the processor, when running the mobile application, is configured to interface with a database of user contacts stored in a memory of the mobile device and accept a user selection of a contact from the database as an identification of a destination address for the mail piece.

30. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the shipping label information comprises one or more of the following:

intended recipient'"'"'s name, destination street address, destination city, destination state, destination country, destination ZIP5, name of return party, return street address, return city, return state, return country, return ZIP5, class of service, package insurance value, email address for tracking notification, phone number for sender, phone number for recipient, and package type.

31. The mobile device of claim 26, wherein the shipping label information comprises the minimum amount of information required by a shipping label to ship the mail piece.