SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF DELIVERING PARCELS USING ATTENDED DELIVERY/PICKUP LOCATIONS

• US 20140279664A1
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• 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: Lievens, Daniel, Dethier, Vincent, Henderickx, Peter, Pirenne, Luc, Payre, Denis
• Granted Patent: US 10,521,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/339
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• 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 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/407 Cancellation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating delivery of parcels to, from, and between attended delivery/pickup locations. In various embodiments, the attended delivery/pickup locations may be associated with brick-and-mortar retail locations and used to facilitate inventory transfer between locations, shipment of goods purchased at the brick-and-mortar-retail locations to other attended delivery/pickup locations or other locations, and to receive delivery of parcels sent from any suitable location. In some embodiments, the attended delivery/pickup locations are configured to receive shipments of items ordered from online retail websites. In other embodiments, the attended delivery/pickups locations are associated with shopping centers and configured to facilitate shipment of items purchased at the associated shopping centers.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for:

(A) providing, to a first user, a selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations to which the first user may have one or more parcels delivered;

(B) receiving a request from said first user to deliver said one or more parcels to a particular attended delivery/pickup location, said request comprising an intended recipient and said particular attended delivery/pickup location comprising an attended delivery/pickup location from said selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations and being associated with a first brick-and-mortar store;

(C) at least partially in response to receiving said request, facilitating delivery of said one or more parcels to said particular attended delivery/pickup location;

(D) receiving confirmation that said one or more parcels have been delivered to said particular attended delivery/pickup location; and

(E) at least partially in response to said confirmation, notifying at least one person that said one or more parcels have been delivered to said second attended delivery/pickup location.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing instructions for:

(F) providing a reminder to at least one employee associated with said particular attended delivery/pickup location to enter information associated with said one or more parcels.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein said confirmation that said one or more parcels have been delivered to said particular attended delivery/pickup location is received at least partially in response to said entry of said information associated with said one or more parcels by said at least one employee associated with said particular attended delivery/pickup location.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

said first attended delivery/pickup location is located substantially within said first brick-and-mortar store; and

said selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations comprises attended delivery/pickup locations located substantially within brick-and-mortar stores associated with said first brick-and-mortar store.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein:

said non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions for determining an availability of a particular item of inventory at a second brick-and-mortar store associated with said second alternative delivery/pickup location;

said non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions for determining an availability of said particular item of inventory at said first brick-and-mortar store; and

said request to deliver said one or more parcels to said particular attended delivery/pickup location is received at least partially in response to a determination that said particular item of inventory is unavailable at said second brick-and-mortar store and is available at said first brick-and-mortar store.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

said request is received from said first user at a first attended delivery/pickup location associated with a shopping center;

said one or more parcels contain one or more items purchased by said first user at one or more stores associated with said shopping center; and

said selection of available attended delivery/pickup is based at least in part on a residential address associated with said first user.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said particular attended delivery/pickup location is within a particular distance of said residential address associated with said first user.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said at least one person is said first user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

said computer-readable medium further stores computer-readable instructions for;

receiving, from said first user, a selection of said particular attended delivery/pickup location; and

at least partially in response to receiving said selection, providing a first code associated with said particular attended delivery/pickup location to said first user;

said request to deliver said one or more parcels to said second delivery/pickup location is received at an online retail website and further comprises said first code;

said facilitating delivery of said one or more parcels comprises facilitating delivery based at least in part on said first code.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said first code is associated with an address associated with said second delivery/pickup location and an account associated with said first user.

11. A computer system comprising at least one processor, wherein said computer system is configured for:

(A) receiving a request to transfer one or more items from a first attended delivery/pickup location located substantially within with a first brick and mortar retail location to a second location;

(B) receiving a first confirmation of receipt of said one or more items at said first attended delivery/pickup location;

(C) at least partially in response to receiving said request and said first confirmation, facilitating delivery of said one or more items from said first attended delivery/pickup location to said second location;

(D) receiving a second confirmation of delivery of said one or more items to said second location; and

(E) at least partially in response to receiving said second confirmation, notifying at least one person of said delivery.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein said second location is a second attended delivery/pickup location located substantially within a second brick and mortar retail location.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said one or more items are one or more items that are not currently available in stock at said first brick-and-mortar retail location, and are currently available in stock at said second brick-and-mortar retail location.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said first and second brick-and-mortar retail locations are controlled by a first retailer.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said at least one person is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an employee associated with said first brick-and-mortar retail location; and

(b) an employee associated with said second brick-and-mortar retail location.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said computer system is further configured for:

determining an availability of said one or more items at said first brick-and-mortar retail location;

determining an availability of said one or more items at said second brick-and-mortar retail location; and

receiving said request to transfer said one or more items at least partially in response to a determination that said one or more items are unavailable at said second brick-and-mortar retail location and available at said first brick-and-mortar retail location.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said computer system is further configured for:

receiving a request from a first user to deliver one or more items ordered from an online retail website to said first attended delivery/pickup location;

facilitating delivery of said one or more items ordered from an online retail website to said first attended delivery/pickup location;

receiving a request from a second user to deliver one or more parcels from said first attended delivery/pickup location to a third attended delivery/pickup location;

facilitating delivery of said one or more parcels from said first attended delivery/pickup location to said third attended pickup/delivery location.

18. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, an indication of a receipt of an item at a first attended delivery/pickup location, said item having been purchased by a user at a shopping center and said first attended delivery/pickup location being located within said shopping center;

providing, by at least one processor, a selection of one or more other attended delivery/pickup locations to said user;

receiving, by at least one processor, a request to ship said item from said first attended delivery/pickup location to a second attended delivery/pickup location designated by said user, said second attended delivery/pickup location being an attended delivery/pickup location from said other attended delivery/pickup locations; and

facilitating, by at least one processor, delivery of said item from said first attended delivery/pickup location to said second attended delivery/pickup location.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18, wherein said selection of one or more other attended delivery/pickup locations is based at least in part on a geographic preference of said first user.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 18, further comprising;

receiving from a second user, by at least one processor, a request to ship a second item from said first attended delivery/pickup location to a second attended delivery/pickup location designated by said second user, wherein;

said second attended delivery/pickup location is designated from said other attended delivery/pickup locations; and

said second item is an item other than an item purchased by said second user at said shopping center.