SHARING LOCATION INFORMATION WITH A RECIPIENT

• US 20170337511A1
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• 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: Shroff, Sumeet Pradeep, Takahashi, Kenny Takano, Horne, Jeffrey J., Hoffmann, Thomas V., Donohue, Michael J., So, Ferdinand, Pulfrey, Julian, Kerr, Michael, Augsburger, Larry, Brown, Todd, Ruggles, Susan, Hennessy, Shane, Brelesky, John
• Application Number:
  US15/600,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20170337511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• 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: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities for tracking an item delivery are provided. In one embodiment, an item is associated with a vehicle (e.g., manned or unmanned terrestrial vehicle, nautical vehicle, and/or aerial vehicle) by updating item data in a database. An item tracking session is then generated based on the item data. Upon the determination that session availability trigger has occurred, access to the item tracking session is provided to a user. Data representing an updated location of the delivery vehicle is then used to update the item data to indicate the current location of the item as the updated location of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for using a user device to track movement of an item during delivery, the method comprising:

receiving, from a server, access to an item tracking session regarding the item;

gathering, from the server, data representing a current location of the item;

rendering the gathered data to illustrate the current location of the item;

receiving a delivery action request from the user, wherein the delivery action request indicates a desired user change to the item delivery; and

transmitting the delivery action request to the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathered data comprises map data identifying the current location of the item.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein rendering the gathered data comprises displaying, on a user interface, a map with a wide view of the location of the item.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a first data update comprising map data;

rendering the first data update to provide a map with a moderate view of the location of the item;

receiving a second data update comprising map data; and

rendering the second data update to provide a map with a close view of the location of the item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the map data comprises a first icon, the first data update comprises a second icon, and the second data update comprises a third icon, and wherein rendering the gathered data comprises:

rendering the first icon in a first size on the map with the first view of the location of the item;

rendering the second icon in a second size on the map with the second view of the location of the item, wherein the second size provides a more specific location than the first size; and

rendering the third icon in a third size on the map with the third view of the location of the item, wherein the third size provides a more specific location than the second size.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of gathering the data representing the current location and rendering the received data comprise:

gathering the data representing the current location of the item and rendering the received data continuously;

gathering the data representing the current location of the item and rendering the received data at least once during a first time period, wherein the first time period comprises a range of one minutes to five minutes;

or

gathering the data representing the current location of the item and rendering the received data at least once during a second time period, wherein the second time period comprises a range of five minutes to fifteen minutes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving access to the item tracking session comprises receiving a map available notification from the server, wherein the map available notification comprises a map access link, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user selection of the map access link,

wherein receiving the data representing the current location of the item from the server comprises receiving map data in response to the user selection of the map access link from the server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the map available notification comprises an email, a short message service (SMS) transmission, or a notification within a user delivery profile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired user change comprises one or more of:

a request to intercept the delivery vehicle to accept delivery of the item;

an indication of a new delivery address for the item;

a request to accept delivery of the item at a retail location;

or

a request to accept delivery of the item at an access point.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the server, an indication that the delivery action request has been granted.

11. An apparatus to track movement of an item during delivery 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, from a server, access to an item tracking session regarding the item;

gather, from the server, data representing a current location of the item;

render the gathered data to illustrate the current location of the item;

receive a delivery action request from the user, wherein the delivery action request indicates a desired user change to the item delivery; and

transmit the delivery action request to the server.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the gathered data comprises map data identifying the current location of the item.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein to render the gathered data the at least one memory and the program code may be further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to render the map data to provide a map with a wide view of the location of the item.

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

receive a first data update comprising map data;

render the first data update to provide a map with a moderate view of the location of the item;

receive a second data update comprising map data; and

render the second data update to provide a map with a close view of the location of the item.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the map data comprises a first icon, the first data update comprises a second icon, and the second data update comprises a third icon;

wherein the first icon is rendered in a first size on the map with a wide view of the location of the item;

wherein the second icon is rendered in a second size on the map with a moderate view of the location of the item, wherein the second size provides a more specific location than the first size; and

wherein the third icon is rendered in a third size on the map with a close view of the location of the item, wherein the third size provides a more specific location than the second size.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the program code may be further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive data representing the location of the item and rendering the received data continuously;

receive data representing the location of the item and rendering the received data at least once during a first time period, wherein the first time period comprises a range of one minutes to five minutes;

or

receive data representing the location of the item and rendering the received data at least once during a second time period, wherein the second time period comprises a range of five minutes to fifteen minutes.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein to receive access to the item tracking session the at least one memory and the program code may be further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive a map available notification from the server, wherein the map available notification comprises a map access link;

wherein the at least one memory and the program code may be further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive a user selection of the map access link; and

receive map data in response to the user selection of the map access link from the server.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the map available notification is received as one or more of an email, a short message service, or a notification in a user delivery profile.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the desired user change comprises one or more of:

a user selection to intercept the delivery vehicle to accept delivery of the item;

a user selection of a new delivery address for the item;

a user selection to accept delivery of the item at a retail location;

or

a user selection to accept delivery of the item at an access point.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the program code may be further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive an indication that the delivery action request has been granted from the server.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tracking movement of an item during delivery, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

receive, from a server, access to an item tracking session regarding the item;

gather, from the server, data representing a current location of the item;

render the gathered data to illustrate the current location of the item;

receive a delivery action request from the user, wherein the delivery action request indicates a desired user change to the item delivery; and

transmit the delivery action request to the server.