INITIATING SHIPMENT OF AN ITEM USING A MOBILE/WEARABLE DEVICE

• US 20160328678A1
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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.
• Application Number:
  US14/980,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328678A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Various embodiments provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for shipping an item. One embodiment provides a method comprising receiving shipping information for the item via a short range wireless communication from a user computing device executing a shipping application. The shipping information comprises (a) consignor identifying information and (b) consignee identifying information. The shipping information is provided by the shipping application. The method further comprises identifying a user computing entity associated with the consignor identifying information; requesting location information from the user computing entity; and processing the location information to determine if the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device. Responsive to determining that the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device, a shipping record configured to facilitate the transportation and delivery of the item in accordance with the shipping information is generated.

Claims

1. A method for shipping an item, the method comprising:

receiving shipping information for the item via a short range wireless communication from a user computing device executing a shipping application, the shipping information comprising (a) consignor identifying information and (b) consignee identifying information, the shipping information provided by the shipping application;

identifying a user computing entity associated with the consignor identifying information;

requesting location information from the user computing entity;

processing the location information to determine if the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device; and

responsive to determining that the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device, generating a shipping record configured to facilitate the transportation and delivery of the item in accordance with the shipping information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requesting verification of the consignor identifying information, the consignee identifying information, or both from a third party computing device;

after requesting verification, receiving a verification notice comprising an address associated with the consignor, an address associated with the consignee, or both; and

wherein the generated shipping record comprises at least one address provided by the verification notice.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) the shipping information does not comprise a delivery address, (b) the verification notice comprises a delivery address for the consignee, and (c) the generated shipping record facilitates delivery of the item to the delivery address provided by the verification notice.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to receiving the verification notice, providing a notification to the user computing device and causing display of the notification by the shipping application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user computing device is a wearable computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wearable computing device is paired with a mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user computing entity is the mobile computing device paired with the wearable computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving weight, dimensions, environmental status information corresponding to the item from an physical input device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is received via one of Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, near field communication, Wi-Fi Direct, infrared, or ultra-wideband.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the consignor identifying information, the consignee identifying information, or both comprise at least one of a telephone number, an email address, or a social media username.)

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the consignee identifying information is selected from a contacts list stored on the user computing device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receiving the verification notification, causing a shipping label to be printed.

13. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including program code, the at least one memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive shipping information for an item via a short range wireless communication from a user computing device executing a shipping application, the shipping information comprising (a) consignor identifying information and (b) consignee identifying information, the shipping information provided by the shipping application;

identify a user computing entity associated with the consignor identifying information;

request location information from the user computing entity;

process the location information to determine if the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device; and

responsive to determining that the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device, generate a shipping record configured to facilitate the transportation and delivery of the item in accordance with the shipping information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one memory and the program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

request verification of the consignor identifying information, the consignee identifying information, or both from a third party computing device;

after requesting verification, receive a verification notice comprising an address associated with the consignor, an address associated with the consignee, or both; and

wherein the generated shipping record comprises at least one address provided by the verification notice.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein (a) the shipping information does not comprise a delivery address, (b) the verification notice comprises a delivery address for the consignee, and (c) the generated shipping record facilitates delivery of the item to the delivery address provided by the verification notice.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one memory and the program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, in response to receiving the verification notice, provide a notification to the user computing device and cause display of the notification by the shipping application.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user computing device is a wearable computing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wearable computing device is paired with a mobile computing device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the user computing entity is the mobile computing device paired with the wearable computing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one memory and the program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive weight information corresponding to the item from a scale.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the short range wireless communication is received via one of Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, near field communication, Wi-Fi Direct, infrared, or ultra-wideband.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the consignor identifying information, the consignee identifying information, or both comprise at least one of a telephone number, an email address, or a social media username.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the consignee identifying information is selected from a contacts list stored on the user computing device.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, responsive to receiving the verification notification, cause a shipping label to be printed.

25. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive shipping information for an item via a short range wireless communication from a user computing device executing a shipping application, the shipping information comprising (a) consignor identifying information and (b) consignee identifying information, the shipping information provided by the shipping application;

an executable portion configured to identify a user computing entity associated with the consignor identifying information;

an executable portion configured to request location information from the user computing entity;

an executable portion configured to process the location information to determine if the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device; and

an executable portion configured to, responsive to determining that the user computing entity is located in the vicinity of the user computing device, generate a shipping record configured to facilitate the transportation and delivery of the item in accordance with the shipping information.