Apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-parcel, multi-carrier, multi-service parcel returns shipping management
First Claim
1. An online merchandise return computer system, said computer system comprising:
- at least one computer device, said at least one computer device programmed to;
receive a pre-selection by a particular online merchant of a set of carriers from a list of available carriers for use by consumers of merchandise sold by the particular online merchant for return shipping of returnable merchandise;
receive from an online retail computer system of a particular online merchant, an indication from the online retail computer system of a shipment on behalf of the particular online merchant of an at least one item of merchandise purchased by a consumer through the online retail computer system, the online retail computer system comprising at least one remote computer device that is remote from the at least one computer device of the online merchandise return computer system;
in response to the indication of the shipment, designate through the online retail computer system, the at least one item as a potentially returnable item;
receive through the online retail computer system, a request by the consumer for an identification of potentially returnable items;
in response to the request, generate a display through the online retail computer system to a display device adapted for communication with a remote consumer computer device associated with the consumer, the display comprising an identification of potentially returnable items, the identification of potentially returnable items comprising an identification of the at least one item of merchandise, and further comprising a respective interactive means associated with each respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items, each respective interactive means being configured for designating a return of each respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items;
receive through the online retail computer system, a merchandise return request by the consumer to return at least one item of merchandise, the merchandise return request comprising a designation of a particular respective interactive means associated with a particular respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items;
determine a set of information about the particular respective item of merchandise;
compare the set of information about the particular respective item of merchandise to a set of return policy rules input to the online merchandise return computer system by the particular online merchant to determine whether the particular respective item of merchandise is returnable; and
if the particular respective item of merchandise is returnable, generate a display to the display device configured for communication with the remote consumer computer device associated with the consumer, the display comprising information corresponding to the set of carriers that was pre-selected by the particular online merchant.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a computer system (the “System”, or the “Return System”) that is configured and programmed to provide online stores with a fast, simple, convenient way for eCommerce customers of an online store to return merchandise purchased from that store from within that online store. The Return System provides multi-carrier shipment rating, shipment labeling, shipment tracking, shipment tracking management reports, returns analysis and returns management reporting In an exemplary embodiment, the Return System has three major components: 1.) A Returns Manager Subsystem that provides a user interface to each Merchant to setup the Merchant'"'"'s account, setup the Merchant'"'"'s return policy and rules, and to monitor the status and movement of return shipments; 2.) A Consumer Returns Subsystem (also sometimes referred to as a “Customer Returns Subsystem”) that provides each consumer using the Returns System with an online user interface that leads the consumer through the returns process, displays the return policies and rules to the consumer, provides shipping document to ship the return package if appropriate, and permits the consumer to track their return shipments; and 3.) a Returns Processing Subsystem that, in the exemplary embodiment, provides background shipping and tracking functionality. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the Online Merchant integrates the Merchant'"'"'s online system with the Returns Processing Subsystem. In another exemplary embodiment, the Returns Processing Subsystem is provided as an independent web-based application service (referred to as a “Return Merchant Service System”) operated by a common provider. In such an embodiment, the Merchant'"'"'s system interacts with the Return Merchant Service System through Application Program Interfaces (“API”).
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An online merchandise return computer system, said computer system comprising:
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at least one computer device, said at least one computer device programmed to; receive a pre-selection by a particular online merchant of a set of carriers from a list of available carriers for use by consumers of merchandise sold by the particular online merchant for return shipping of returnable merchandise; receive from an online retail computer system of a particular online merchant, an indication from the online retail computer system of a shipment on behalf of the particular online merchant of an at least one item of merchandise purchased by a consumer through the online retail computer system, the online retail computer system comprising at least one remote computer device that is remote from the at least one computer device of the online merchandise return computer system; in response to the indication of the shipment, designate through the online retail computer system, the at least one item as a potentially returnable item; receive through the online retail computer system, a request by the consumer for an identification of potentially returnable items; in response to the request, generate a display through the online retail computer system to a display device adapted for communication with a remote consumer computer device associated with the consumer, the display comprising an identification of potentially returnable items, the identification of potentially returnable items comprising an identification of the at least one item of merchandise, and further comprising a respective interactive means associated with each respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items, each respective interactive means being configured for designating a return of each respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items; receive through the online retail computer system, a merchandise return request by the consumer to return at least one item of merchandise, the merchandise return request comprising a designation of a particular respective interactive means associated with a particular respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items; determine a set of information about the particular respective item of merchandise; compare the set of information about the particular respective item of merchandise to a set of return policy rules input to the online merchandise return computer system by the particular online merchant to determine whether the particular respective item of merchandise is returnable; and if the particular respective item of merchandise is returnable, generate a display to the display device configured for communication with the remote consumer computer device associated with the consumer, the display comprising information corresponding to the set of carriers that was pre-selected by the particular online merchant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An online merchandise return computer system, said online merchandise return computer system comprising
one or more online merchandise return computers programmed to: -
receive, through the online merchandise return computer system, a merchandise return request by a consumer to return to a merchant, an at least one item of merchandise; in response to receiving said merchandise return request, generate through the online merchandise return computer system, a display of an interactive graphic comparison of shipping rates for shipping a package containing the at least one item of merchandise to be returned, said display showing a respective shipping rate for each respective service of a set of services offered by each respective carrier of a set of carriers, the set of carriers and the set of services being selected by the computer system for display according to a pre-selected set of carriers that was pre-selected through the online merchandise return computer system by the merchant from a list of available carriers and according to a set of return policy rules input by the merchant, and each respective shipping rate being calculated by the online merchandise return computer system according to information about the at least one item of merchandise that is accessible by the online merchandise return computer system; and process through the online merchandise return computer system said merchandise return request according to the set of return policy rules input by the merchant.
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23. A method using a computer for online merchandise return shipping, said method comprising:
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collecting by the computer, a set of return policy rules input by a merchant through a merchant computer device, the set of return policy rules comprising an identification by the merchant of a set of carriers that may be used by a consumer for a return shipping of an item of merchandise to the merchant, the set of carriers being selected by the merchant from a list of available carriers; saving by the computer, said set of return policy rules in a database accessible by the computer; receiving by the computer, from a remote consumer computer device of a consumer, a merchandise return request by the consumer to return to the merchant a particular item of merchandise; and in response to the merchandise return request, generating by the computer, a display to a display device configured for communication with the remote consumer computer device, the display comprising a representation of the set of carriers identified by the merchant according to the return policy rules for use by the consumer for shipping the particular item of merchandise to the merchant. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A computer system for online merchandise return shipping, said computer system comprising:
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a computer device programmed with a set of computer readable code embodied on a computer usable medium, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed by the computer device for; collecting a set of return policy rules input by a merchant, the return policy rules input by the merchant comprising a set of carriers selected by the merchant from a list of available carriers for subsequent use by consumers of the merchant for shipping returned items; saving said set of return policy rules in a database accessible by the computer device; presenting to a display device adapted for operation with a consumer computer device accessible by a consumer, a list of items of merchandise previously purchased from the merchant and shipped by the merchant to the consumer; receiving from the consumer computer device, a merchandise return request by the consumer to return an at least one item of merchandise; displaying to a display device adapted for operation with the consumer computer device accessible by the consumer, in response to the merchandise return request, a display comprising an indication of the set of carriers selected by the merchant for use by the consumer for shipping returned items; receiving from the consumer computer device, an identification by the consumer of a carrier from the set of carriers, and a delivery service provided by the carrier, for return shipping of the at least one item of merchandise to a return location for the merchant; and facilitating printing at a printing device adapted for operation with the consumer computer device, a machine-readable carrier shipping label for delivery of the at least one item of merchandise to the return location for the merchant. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A computer program product for online merchandise return shipping, said computer program product comprising a computer readable program code embodied on a computer usable medium, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed for:
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receiving from a consumer computer device accessible by a consumer, a merchandise return request by the consumer to return to a merchant, an at least one item of merchandise; selecting a set of carriers and a set of delivery services offered by the set of carriers as potential carriers and delivery services for shipping a package containing the at least one item of merchandise to be returned, the set of carriers and the set of delivery services being selected according to a set of return policy rules previously selected by the merchant from a list of available carriers and available delivery services; generating for display to a display device operable with the consumer computer device, in response to said merchandise return request, a display of an interactive graphic comparison of shipping rates for the return request for shipping the package containing the at least one item of merchandise to be returned, said display showing a shipping rate for each delivery service of the set of services offered by each carrier of the set of carriers; and processing said merchandise return request according to the set of return policy rules input by the merchant.
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Specification