Method for shipping a package privately to a customer

• US 7,295,997 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Postal Service United States The
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Orbke, Wayne H., Estes, Jacquelyn, Troxel, Kerry J., Rios, Julie F., Robinson, Jacquelyn M., Penn, Maria C., Ray, Christine R. L., Pensabene, Phillip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen; William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/311,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/1, 705 60- 62, 705/74, 705/50
• US Class Current: 705/65
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention facilitate in sending a package (112) to a customer at a physical address via a shipper (106) while preserving customer privacy. In accordance with an embodiment, an order is received from the customer (102). The order may include a unique identifier corresponding to the customer. A package (110) is sent to the shipper (106) in fulfillment of the order, the package including the unique identifier. Then, the customer'"'"'s physical address is derived from the unique identifier and the package is delivered (112) from the shipper to the customer'"'"'s physical address.

Claims

1. A method of sending a package to a customer while preserving customer privacy using a system that includes a merchant computer, a shipping computer, and a payment computer, comprising:

receiving, from the customer at the merchant computer, a purchase request for a product;

providing, from the customer to the merchant computer, an electronic token obtained from the shipping computer;

sending, from the merchant computer to the payment computer, the electronic token corresponding to a customer account and a purchase amount corresponding to the purchase request;

sending, from the payment computer to the shipping computer, a validation request to verify whether the electronic token is valid;

verifying, at the shipping computer, the electronic token, wherein the verification comprises at least determining whether the electronic token has expired due to being used a predetermined number of times;

converting, by the shipping computer after verification, the electronic token into shipping label information, wherein the shipping label information identifies neither a name nor a physical address of the customer;

sending, from the shipping computer to the payment computer, a verification that the token is valid and the shipping label information;

sending, from the payment computer to the merchant computer, the shipping label information;

printing, at the merchant computer, a first label with the shipping label information;

affixing the first label to the package containing the product;

sending the package to a shipper;

retrieving the name and the physical address of the customer using the shipping label information; and

delivering the package to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising affixing a second label on the package, the second label including at least one of the name and the physical address of the customer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein delivering the package to the customer includes delivering the package to the physical address of the customer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification to the customer at the physical address, the notification informing the customer of the package and specifying the location of the package.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the delivering the package to the customer is performed by a call depot at the location identified by the notification.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the delivering the package to the customer is performed by a self-service machine at the location identified by the notification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic token is an encrypted data structure, a random number, or an account number corresponding to the customer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipping label information includes a re-labeling location information specifying a location where the package is to be re-labeled.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipping computer compares the electronic token to a token stored in the customer'"'"'s account.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic token is an encrypted data structure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein after verification of the electronic token at the shipping computer, the method further comprises transmitting a response to the payment computer indicating whether the electronic token is valid.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at a re-labeling location specified by the re-labeling location information, a second label is affixed to the package that includes a barcode identifying a shipping address of the customer.