Package special delivery service

• US 5,831,860 A
• Filed: 04/28/1995
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.), Ball Horticultural Company
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldman, Shelley B., Foladare, Mark Jeffrey, Silverman, David Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC, MCDIEUNEL
• Application Number:
  US08/431,228
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 235/153, 370/19, 340/825.44, 358/257, 178/26 R, 346/478.07, 382/1, 364/479.01, 364/479.06, 364/479.07, 364/479.12, 364/479.14, 364/403, 364/181, 364/478.08, 364/478.15, 364/478.01, 364/200
• US Class Current: 700/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

It is possible to redirect a package in mid-transit, so as to deliver it to the addressee who will not be at the location to which the package was originally addressed when the package would otherwise be delivered. To do so, a package carrier, prior to delivering a package to an address specified by the sender, determines if the addressee desires the package to be rerouted to a different address. This determination is prompted by detection of the fact that the addressee is not in the vicinity of the address specified by the sender. The location of the addressee is determined from the location of a two-way pager associated with the addressee as detected by a paging antenna, e.g., tower, of a conventional two-way paging. A comparison is made between the location of the addressee and the address specified by the sender. If there is a disparity and the addressee subscribes to the package special delivery redirection service, the package is then processed according to the instructions of the addressee. One instruction that can be left by the addressee is to call the addressee and ask if he wishes the package to be redirected, and, if so, what should be the new address. Another instruction that can be left by the addressee is to automatically reroute the package to a destination which may be determined as a function of the location of the addressee.

Claims

1. A method for routing a package comprising the steps of:

receiving a package by a package carrier for delivery to an intended recipient;

determining an actual physical location of said intended recipient;

ascertaining whether the actual physical location of said intended recipient is within a vicinity of an address associated with said intended recipient; and

supplying a prestored alternative delivery treatment instruction, to be applied to the delivery of said package, specified for the condition when the step of ascertaining determines that the intended recipient is not within the vicinity of said address.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of delivering said package to an alternate address when said intended recipient is not within the vicinity of said address.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said alternative delivery treatment instruction is supplied to said package carrier.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said alternative delivery treatment instruction is supplied by said intended recipient.

5. An apparatus for routing a package comprising:

means for receiving an indication of an actual physical location of an intended recipient of a package;

means for determining in advance of delivery of said package that said intended recipient is not within a vicinity of an address associated with said intended recipient; and

means for originating a communication session with said intended recipient when said intended recipient is not within the vicinity of said address.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said communication session is a telephone call.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said communication session is a message exchange via two-way paging.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein information is communicated over said communication session indicating to deliver said package to said address.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein information is communicated over said communication session indicating to deliver said package to the actual physical location of said intended recipient rather than said address associated with said intended recipient.

10. An apparatus for routing a package, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining an actual physical location of an intended recipient of a package;

means for determining that said intended recipient is not within a vicinity of an address associated with said intended recipient; and

means for alerting a package carrier that said intended recipient is not within the vicinity of said address.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 further including means for supplying an alternate address to which said package is to be delivered when said intended recipient is not within the vicinity of said address associated with said intended recipient.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 further including means for storing an alternate processing treatment for said package.

13. A method for use in routing a package by a package carrier, said method comprising the steps of:

determining an actual physical location of an intended recipient of said package;

ascertaining whether there exists a disparity between the actual physical location of the intended recipient and an address associated with said intended recipient; and

alerting the package carrier when the ascertaining step determines that there is a disparity.

14. An apparatus for use in arranging for the delivery of a package, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining that said package is to be delivered to an intended recipient at an address associated with said intended recipient; and

means for causing the delivery of said package to a different address as a function of the actual physical location of said intended recipient at a particular point in the delivery process.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14 further including means for ascertaining that said intended recipient will not be at said associated address.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said means for causing is responsive to prestored instructions of said intended recipient.

17. An apparatus for use in arranging for the delivery of a package, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining that said package is to be delivered to an intended recipient at an address associated with said intended recipient;

means for scheduling a delivery time for said package; and

means for causing the delivery of said package to an address different from said associated address as a function of said intended recipient being at an actual physical location other than the associated address at a particular point in the delivery process of said package, wherein said location is at least a predetermined distance from said associated address.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said means for causing includes means for determining that said intended recipient subscribes to a package redirection service.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said means for scheduling is employed to reschedule said package for delivery at said address different from said associated address.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said associated address is specified by a package sender.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said associated address is specified as a function of the identity of said intended recipient.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim l7 wherein said means for causing includes means for communicating with said intended recipient to determine if said intended recipient intends to be at said associated address at the scheduled time of delivery.