Method and system for multi-carrier package tracking

• US 6,976,007 B1
• Filed: 10/04/1999
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Njo, Angela, Karbowski, Kenneth, Krouch, Richard J., Carroll, Terri A., Boucher, Glen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/411,524
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A tracking system and method uses a multi-threaded controller to automatically and periodically generate tracking objects that are presented to carrier tracking websites. The tracking objects are retrieved from input queues that receive tracking requests from a scheduler. The carrier tracking website updates the status of package delivery which in turn updates the data in the shipping system server with respect to tracking information. This updated information can be used to automatically generate E-mail notification of package delivery as well as for updated purposes. An instant track component allows a user to obtain prioritized tracking information from the associated carrier tracking website.

Claims

1. A tracking system in which a package is to be sent from a user to a recipient by requesting shipping through Internet resources associated with carriers capable of delivering the package to the recipient, in which the user determines the carrier to be used for shipping a package to a particular recipient, comprising:

means for generating a tracking number, the tracking number being associated with a package to be sent from the user to the recipient by a selected carrier;

means for generating a tracking request, the tracking request containing the tracking number associated with the package, as well as information of the selected carrier which is to deliver the package to the particular recipient;

a storage location adapted to store the tracking request;

a tracking coordinator adapted to receive said tracking request and adapted to generate tracking objects,

and adapted to send said tracking objects to a tracking website of the selected carrier;

means for receiving results from the tracking website of the selected carrier;

means for updating shipping server data storage with the results from the tracking website of the selected carrier website; and

wherein the tracking coordinator comprises means for limiting the generation of tracking objects for the selected carrier based on pacing constraints provided by the selected carrier so as to be generated no more frequently than a carrier designated number of tracking objects per carrier designated interval.

2. A tracking system for a shipping system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a tracking result queue for receiving the results from selected carrier websites and for outputting these results for delivery to a shipping system server data storage device.

3. A tracking system for a shipping system as defined in claim 2, wherein the shipping system server has an instant tracking component for allowing a user to generate a tracking request for a package, wherein the tracking coordinator has means for generating a tracking object for the user tracking request that is prioritized with respect to other tracking objects generated for the same carrier as that associated with the users package.

4. A tracking system for a shipping system as defined in claim 3, wherein the tracking coordinator has means for generating tracking objects to a carrier tracking website using multiple Internet Protocol addresses.

5. A tracking system for a shipping system as defined in claim 3, wherein the shipping system server includes a scheduler for automatically retrieving information required to generate a tracking request from the data storage device, wherein the scheduler times said retrieval of information to occur at a predetermined time.

6. A tracking system for a shipping system as defined in claim 1, wherein the shipping system server has an instant tracking component for allowing a user to generate a tracking request for a package, wherein the tracking coordinator has means for generating a tracking object for the user tracking request that is prioritized with respect to other tracking objects generated for the same carrier as that associated with the user'"'"'s package.

7. A tracking system as defined in claim 1, further comprising an E-mail services component for generating an E-mail message to a party specified by the user when the tracking information indicates that the package has been delivered to the recipient.

8. A tracking method for a shipping system in which a package is to be sent from a user to a recipient by requesting said shipping through Internet resources associated with carriers capable of delivering the package to the recipient, in which the user of the shipping system determines the carrier to be used for shipping a package to a recipient, and in which the shipping system has a shipping system server with a data storage device for storing package tracking data, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a tracking number associated with the package to be sent from the user to the recipient by a selected carrier;

(b) generating a tracking request containing the tracking number associated with the package, as well as information of the selected carrier which is to deliver the package to the particular recipient;

(c) storing the tracking request;

(d) generating tracking objects, and sending said tracking objects to a tracking website of the selected carrier;

(e) receiving results from the tracking website of the selected carrier;

(f) updating shipping server data storage with the results from the tracking website of the selected carrier website; and

(g) limiting the generation of tracking objects for the selected carrier based on pacing constraints provided by the selected carrier so as to be generated no more frequently than a carrier designated number of tracking objects per carrier designated interval.

9. A tracking method as defined in claim 8, further comprising the step of receiving the results from all of the carrier websites and for outputting these results for delivery to the shipping system server data storage device.

10. A tracking method as defined in claim 9, further comprising the steps of allowing a user to generate an instant tracking request for a package, and for generating a tracking object for the user tracking request that is prioritized with respect to other tracking objects generated for the same carrier as that associated with the user'"'"'s package.

11. A tracking method as defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of generating tracking objects to a carrier tracking website using multiple Internet Protocol addresses.

12. A tracking method as defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of automatically scheduling retrieving information required to generate a tracking request from the data storage device at a predetermined time.

13. A tracking method as defined in claim 8, wherein the shipping system server has an instant tracking component for allowing a user to generate a tracking request for a package, wherein the tracking coordinator has means for generating a tracking object for the user tracking request that is prioritized with respect to other tracking objects generated for the same carrier as that associated with the user'"'"'s package.

14. A tracking method as defined in claim 13, further comprising the step of generating tracking objects to a carrier tracking website using multiple Internet Protocol addresses.

15. A tracking method as defined in claim 8, further comprising the step of automatically scheduling retrieving information required to generate a tracking request from the data storage device at a predetermined time.