Delivery management method and device, and delivery information service method

• US 7,356,481 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kijima, Yuji, Uyama, Masashi, Mitsuoka, Madoka, Kohda, Youji, Iwayama, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen; Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US09/769,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,629 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/8, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• 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

Method for making delivery of products more efficient, and having deliveries made that are convenient for delivery recipients. When a user (delivery recipient 3) purchases a product from a vendor and applies for delivery, a management server 4 accepts a delivery application from a vendor client 1. The management server 4 notifies the delivery recipient client 3 of the application for delivery, and prompts the user to designate delivery terms. For example, a delivery terms designation form is provided on a web page, and the URL for that web page is provided in the application for delivery notification. The delivery recipient client 3 accesses the web page and refers to a list of products to be delivered to him or herself. Moreover, the delivery recipient designates delivery terms when he or she is certain of his or her schedule. A delivery business is notified of these delivery terms.

Claims

1. A method for managing delivery of products that have been ordered, comprising:

presenting a screen which accepts delivery applications of the products to a provider of the products, and accepting applications on the screen for delivery of said products from the provider of said products;

assigning application ID'"'"'s to said applications;

presenting a screen which notifies a delivery recipient of the products, and accepting a designation of delivery terms on the screen;

presenting said delivery recipient with a screen displaying a list of the products scheduled to be delivered to said delivery recipient and said application ID'"'"'s therefore;

presenting a screen which accepts designation of delivery terms for the applications specified by said application ID'"'"'s from said recipient, and accepting designation of delivery terms on the screen from said delivery recipient after orders of said products; and

presenting a screen which displays the products corresponding to application ID'"'"'s for which the same delivery term has been designated, the designated delivery terms, and the delivery recipient to a delivery business being specified by the designated delivery terms;

wherein the delivery terms comprise a date and time of delivery.

2. A delivery management method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising accepting formation of a group and designation of group members from said delivery recipient;

and

said presenting a screen which notifies further comprising a group notification giving notification of a list of products scheduled for delivery to other members of the group to which the delivery recipient belongs and the application ID'"'"'s therefore.

3. A delivery management method according to claim 1, wherein:

said accepting applications further comprises accepting an application for delivery of a first product of said products and an application for delivery of a second product of said products;

said accepting designation of delivery terms further comprises accepting designation of a first delivery term of said delivery terms for the first product and designation of a second delivery term of said delivery terms for the second product; and

the delivery management method further comprising;

judging whether prior to delivery of said first product, a second delivery term is designated for the second product; and

changing the first delivery term set for said first product to the second delivery term set for said second product according to a result of said judging.

4. A delivery management method according to claim 1 wherein:

said accepting delivery applications further comprising accepting an application for delivery of a first product of said products and an application for delivery of a second product of said products;

said accepting designation of delivery terms further includes accepting designation of a first delivery term of said delivery terms for the first product and designation of a second delivery term of said delivery terms for the second product; and

the delivery management method further comprising;

judging whether the application for delivery of the second product is accepted prior to delivery of said first product; and

changing the second delivery term to the first delivery term according to a result of said judging.

5. A delivery management method according to claim 1, further comprising:

judging whether said delivery recipient is the party that ordered said products; and

notifying the provider of said products that the products specified by said application ID'"'"'s have been purchased after said term accepting, according to a result of said judging.

6. A delivery management method according to claim 1, further including:

judging whether said delivery recipient is the party that ordered said products;

accepting cancellation of orders for said products specified by said application ID'"'"'s; and

notifying the provider of said products for which the order specified by said application ID'"'"'s has been cancelled, according to a result of said judging.

7. A delivery management device that manages delivery of ordered products, comprising:

accepting means for accepting applications for delivery of said products;

assigning means for assigning application ID'"'"'s to said applications;

prompting means for prompting a recipient to designate delivery terms by notifying a delivery recipient of said application ID'"'"'s;

providing means for providing to said delivery recipient with a list of the products scheduled to be delivered to said delivery recipient and said application ID'"'"'s therefore;

a term accepting means for accepting from said delivery recipient designation of delivery terms for the applications specified by said application ID'"'"'s after orders of said products; and

requesting means for requesting delivery by notifying a delivery business of the products corresponding to application ID'"'"'s for which the same delivery term has been designated, the designated delivery terms, and the delivery recipient;

wherein the delivery terms comprise a date and time of delivery.

8. A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for executing the delivery information service method used in a delivery information service device wherein a plurality of user terminals, a plurality of delivery business terminals and a plurality of vendor terminals are interconnected over a network, said program operative to cause a computer to execute:

receiving product delivery request information sent from a vendor terminal or user terminal, wherein said delivery request information includes a recipient of said products and whether delivery of said products has been made;

storing said delivery request information in a delivery request information unit;

extracting said delivery request information from said delivery request information storage unit, wherein extracted delivery request information is for deliveries that have not yet been made and the delivery recipient being the same as the delivery recipient included in said delivery request information received;

acquiring a notification address of said delivery recipient from a correspondence table of notification addresses that are held having been matched beforehand with delivery recipients, in order to send notification to the notification address of said delivery recipient of said received delivery request information, of said extracted delivery-pending delivery request information, and of information prompting the input of desired delivery terms; and

transmitting to a delivery business terminal of information giving instruction for delivery of the article for delivery to said delivery recipient in accordance with the desired delivery terms sent from said delivery recipient;

wherein the delivery terms comprise a date and time of delivery.

9. A delivery information service method comprising:

receiving a delivery request for an article;

storing the received delivery request in a storage device;

searching said storage device and delivery requests for pending deliveries with the same delivery recipient as the delivery recipient of said delivery request are extracted;

referring to an address table wherein delivery recipients and notification addresses have been matched beforehand and the notification address of the delivery recipient is extracted;

giving notification to the delivery recipient notification address of said delivery request and of said extracted delivery-pending delivery request and prompting the recipient to input desired delivery terms; and

based on the desired delivery terms given in response, making instructions for delivery to said delivery recipient of the article scheduled for delivery, said instructions being given to a delivery business that has been designated by the desired conditions or that matches said desired conditions;

wherein the delivery terms comprise a date and time of delivery.