Coded information for inventorying goods

• US 7,641,104 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auctane LLC (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Leon, J. P., Bussell, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol; Paultep
• Application Number:
  US11/324,015
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/383, 235/384, 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0004 Determining the location of mailpieces outside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder

Abstract

Systems and methods for using information, provided in association with a shipping parcel containing or associated with the goods, by a shipping service provider and a recipient of the goods are shown. According to one embodiment, coded data, such as provided in a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or barcode, is used to identify the parcel and the goods, either directly or through correlation with other information, such as shipping information and/or inventory information. The coded data is preferably in a format readable by both the shipping service provider and the recipient of the parcel.

Claims

1. A system for shipping goods, said system comprising:

a data carrier having data electronically retrievable therefrom, said data carrier attached to a parcel carrying said goods, said data being coded in a format readable by a shipping service provider of said parcel, wherein said shipping service provider is an entity that provides shipping of parcels from a sender to an intended recipient and is not associated with said sender or said recipient, and readable by a recipient of said parcel, wherein a format of at least a portion of said electronically retrievable data is specified by said recipient, wherein said data as read by said shipping service provider is used in tracking shipment of said parcel and said data as read by said recipient is used to indicate receipt of said goods by said recipient.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronically retrievable data comprises a shipping tracking identifier for said parcel in a tracking system of said shipping service provider and an inventory identifier for said goods in an inventory control system of said recipient.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronically retrievable data corresponds to a shipping tracking identifier for said parcel in a tracking system of said shipping service provider and an inventory identifier for said goods in an inventory control system of said recipient.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronically retrievable data is retrievable using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronically retrievable data is retrievable using barcode technology.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said electronically retrievable data is unique to said shipping service provider.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said electronically retrievable data is unique to said recipient.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein a format of at least a portion of said electronically retrievable data is specified by said shipping service provider.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronically retrievable data is coded in a format readable by a shipper of said parcel.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a communicating component operable to send a message to said recipient linking said electronically retrievable data to identifying information for said goods compatible with an inventory system of said recipient.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said message is an email.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said message is an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) message.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said electronically retrievable data comprises a package identifier, and wherein said message specifies that said parcel with said package identifier includes said goods.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said communicating component is further operable to receive a message from said recipient specifying said identifying information for said goods.

15. A system for tracking goods, said system comprising:

a parcel for carrying said goods;

destination information attached to said parcel and in a format compatible with a shipping system of a parcel service; and

an electronically readable coded data packet attached to said parcel and in a format compatible with said shipping system of said parcel service and compatible with an intake scanning system of said recipient, said electronically readable coded data packet having information therein identifying said goods to said intake scanning system when scanned by said intake scanning system and identifying said parcel to said shipping system, wherein a format of at least a portion of said electronically readable coded data packet is specified by said recipient.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said information comprises a parcel identification string that is linked to one or more identifiers in an inventory system of said recipient, said one or more identifiers uniquely identifying said goods in said inventory system.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said destination information and said coded data packet are both written to a shipping label for said parcel.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said coded data packet comprises one or more of:

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag; and

a barcode.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said coded data packet comprises a serial number of said goods written directly to said RFID tag.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said coded data packet comprises a shipping tracking identifier for said parcel in a tracking system of said parcel service and an inventory identifier for said goods in an inventory control system of said recipient.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein said coded data packet comprises data corresponding to a shipping tracking identifier for said parcel in a tracking system of said parcel service and an inventory identifier for said goods in an inventory control system of said recipient.

22. The system of claim 15 further comprising a database correlating data contained within said data packet to said data corresponding to a shipping tracking identifier.

23. The system of claim 15 further comprising a database correlating data contained within said data packet to said inventory identifier.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein at least a portion of data within said coded data packet is unique to said parcel service.

25. The system of claim 16 wherein at least a portion of data within said coded data packet is unique to said recipient.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein a format of at least a portion of said coded data packet is specified by said parcel service.

27. A method for shipping goods, said method comprising:

providing a coded information tag and a parcel to be shipped, said parcel including merchandise for delivery to a recipient;

writing information to said coded information tag in a format readable by said recipient, the format of at least a portion of said information being specified by said recipient, to indicate receipt of said goods, wherein said information describes said merchandise in an inventorying format of said recipient, and readable by said shipping service provider to track shipment of said parcel;

associating said coded information tag with said parcel; and

shipping said parcel and said coded information tag to said recipient.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein a portion of said information is supplied by said recipient.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising sending a message to said recipient linking said information to one or more inventory identifiers identifying said merchandise, said one or more inventory identifiers for use in an inventory system of said recipient.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising receiving a message from said recipient specifying said one or more inventory identifiers before performing said writing information.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein said coded information tag comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein said coded information tag comprises a barcode.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein associating said coded information tag with said parcel includes affixing said tag to said parcel as at least part of a shipping label.

34. A method for tracking inventory, said method comprising:

receiving a message linking coded information on a parcel to goods to be tracked in an inventory system, said goods being contained in said parcel;

shipping said parcel including said goods;

decoding said coded information by a shipping service provider for use in tracking shipment of said parcel including said goods;

receiving said parcel including said goods;

decoding said coded information by a recipient of said parcel including said goods; and

based on said decoding, updating a database in said inventory system to show receipt of said goods included in said parcel, wherein a format of at least a portion of said coded information is specified by said recipient.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said coded information comprises a serial number of said goods.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said coded information comprises an identification of said parcel.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said message links said identification of said parcel to an inventory number in a format compatible with said inventory system.

38. A method for tracking a parcel and its corresponding inventory, said parcel including an attached data carrier having data electronically retrievable therefrom, said method comprising:

tracking, by a shipping service provider that provides delivery of a package from a sender to an intended recipient and is not affiliated with said sender or said intended recipient, said parcel along a shipping route between a sender and a recipient using at least some of said electronically retrievable data on said parcel; and

tracking, by said recipient, said inventory using at least some of said electronically retrievable on said parcel, wherein a format of at least a portion of said electronically retrievable data is specified by said recipient.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

correlating shipping information from said tracking to said inventory thereby providing shipping history with respect to particular inventory items contained within said parcel.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said shipping history is stored within an inventory control system of said recipient in association with other information associated with said particular inventory items.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein said recipient and said shipping service provider use a same portion of said coded informational content to perform said respective tracking steps.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said same portion of said coded informational content is shipping information on a shipping label of said parcel.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein said same portion of said coded informational content is linked to one or more inventory numbers in a tracking system of said recipient.

44. A system for shipping goods, said system comprising:

a data carrier having electronically retrievable data thereon, said data being coded in a format readable by a shipping company, wherein said shipping company provides delivery of an item from a sender to an intended recipient and is not affiliated with the sender or recipient, and further wherein said data as read by said shipping company is used in tracking shipment of an item in a tracking system maintained by said shipping company and readable by a recipient of said parcel, wherein said data as read by said recipient is used to indicate receipt of goods by said recipient in an inventory control system maintained by said recipient, and wherein a format of at least a portion of said electronically retrievable data is specified by said recipient.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein said shipping company comprises a service selected from the group comprising:

a government operated postal service;

a private package delivery service;

a global package delivery service;

a time-definite delivery service;

an overnight delivery service;

or

a next day delivery service.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein a portion of said electronically retrievable data is specified by said recipient.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said portion of said electronically retrievable data specified by said recipient comprises inventory numbers.