Method and system for preparing an electronic record for shipping a parcel

• US 6,889,194 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1995
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1995
• 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: Kadaba, Nagesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gilligan, Christopher L.
• Application Number:
  US08/457,732
• Time in Patent Office: 3,624 Days
• Field of Search: 395/201, 395/207, 395/208, 395/209, 395/214, 395/221, 395/222, 395/228, 395/229, 395/234, 364/464.14, 364/464.16, 364/464.2, 364/479.06, 364/478.02, 364/478.03, 364/478.13, 364/478.14, 364/478.15, 364/468.13, 364/468.14, 705/400, 705/404, 705/406, 705/410, 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 705/14, 705/21, 705/22, 705/28, 705/29, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/330
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for preparing an electronic shipping record of a parcel. The system utilizes an intelligent telephone to display a parcel shipping procedure as a menu of choices for selection, to store delivery information received via the parcel shipping procedure as a shipping record of a parcel, and to transmit the shipping record to update a parcel database.

Claims

1. A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising:

(a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, and means for receiving a parcel pickup request, said central computer for downloading a parcel shipping procedure; and

(b) an intelligent telephone, comprising;

(1) an input device for receiving information;

(2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer;

(3) an information storage device;

(4) a screen device for displaying information; and

(5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for;

(A) communicating with said central computer via a network;

(B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer;

(C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection;

(D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel;

(E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel; and

(F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.

2. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said input device comprises a set of programmable keys.

3. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said input device is a touch sensitive device associated with said screen.

4. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said processor is for printing a label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information.

5. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said processor is further for generating a bit map including said delivery information.

6. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 5, wherein said processor is further for printing a label from said bit map.

7. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said processor is further for printing a machine readable label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information.

8. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said processor is further for generating a bit map of a machine readable label.

9. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 8, wherein said processor is further for printing a machine readable label from said bit map.

10. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said delivery information includes an identification number of said parcel and wherein said processor is further operative to generate said identification number of said parcel.

11. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said central computer further comprises a billing database for storing a billing record associated with shipping said parcel, said billing record determined from said shipping record.

12. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said processor is further for transmitting information to said central computer to track said parcel.

13. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said delivery information includes a recipient of said parcel and wherein said processor is further for transmitting information to said central computer to track said parcel by said recipient.

14. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein said delivery information includes a shipping date of said parcel and wherein said processor is further for transmitting information to said central computer to track said parcel by said shipping date.

15. The system for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 1, wherein sail processor is further operative to transmit information to said central computer to indicate said parcel is ready for shipment.

16. A method for preparing an electronic shipping record of a parcel and parcel delivery, comprising:

(a) receiving a parcel shipping procedure from a remote computer via a network;

(b) displaying on a screen of an intelligent telephone said parcel shipping procedure as a menu of choices for selection;

(c) recording via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel; and

(d) transmitting said delivery information and a parcel pickup request to said remote computer in response to receiving said delivery information, wherein a pickup of said parcel and a tracking database entry for said parcel is initiated from said central computer.

17. The method for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of updating a billing database.

18. The method for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of printing a label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information.

19. The method for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of generating a bit map including said delivery information.

20. The method for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 19, further comprising the step of printing a label from said bit map.

21. The method for preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 16, wherein said delivery information includes an identification number of said parcel, further comprising the step of generating said identification number of said parcel.

22. The method of preparing an electronic shipping record as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of transmitting information to a central computer to indicate said parcel is ready for shipment.

23. A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising:

(a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, a recipient list, means for receiving a parcel pickup request, and means for downloading a parcel shipping procedure; and

(b) an intelligent telephone, comprising;

(1) an input device for receiving information, wherein said input device comprises a set of programmable keys;

(2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer;

(3) an information storage device;

(4) a screen device for displaying information; and

(5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for;

(A) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said computer;

(B) receiving and storing said recipient list from said computer;

(C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection;

(D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel, said delivery information including an identification number of said parcel;

(E) displaying said recipient list with said screen device when preparing said parcel for shipping;

(F) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel, wherein said delivery information includes a zip code of a delivery address of said parcel;

(G) validating said zip code;

(H) automatically transmitting said shipping record of a said parcel to said central computer to said parcel pickup request receiving means and to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.

(I) disabling non-selectable features of said parcel shipping procedure;

(J) printing a label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information;

(K) generating a bit map including said delivery information;

(L) printing a label from said bit map;

(M) printing a machine readable label for affixation to said parcel, said label including said delivery information;

(N) generating a bit map of a machine readable label;

(O) printing a machine readable label from said bit map; and

(P) generating said identification number of said parcel.

24. A system for preparing an electronic shipping record for a parcel, and for ordering and tracking parcel deliveries, comprising:

(a) a central computer including a tracking database for a plurality of parcels, said central computer configured to receive a parcel pickup request and to download a parcel shipping procedure; and

(b) art intelligent telephone, comprising;

(1) an input device for receiving information;

(2) a data transfer device for receiving information from said central computer;

(3) an information storage device;

(4) a screen device for displaying information; and

(5) a processor coupled to said input device, said data transfer device, said information storage device, and said screen device, said processor for;

(A) communicating with said central computer via a network;

(B) receiving and storing said parcel shipping procedure from said central computer;

(C) displaying said parcel shipping procedure with said screen device as a menu of choices for selection;

(D) receiving via said parcel shipping procedure delivery information relating to a parcel;

(E) storing said delivery information as a shipping record of said parcel; and

(F) transmitting said shipping record of said parcel to said tracking database, in response to receiving said delivery information.