Next generation visibility package tracking
First Claim
1. A computer system for providing enhanced visibility of shipped items shipped via a carrier, said computer system comprising:
- one or more event-based tracking systems comprising at least one or more of a barcode scanner or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the event-based tracking systems configured to obtain information about shipped items;
a global tracking/data repository comprising a mainframe-computer or a server, the global tracking/data repository configured to receive said information from said event-based tracking systems;
a visibility engine configured to provide at least a portion of said information to at least a shipper or a recipient of one or more shipped items over a network;
a package routing module configured to determine;
a preferred delivery route and an alternate delivery route for the transport of the shipped items from the shipper to the recipient via the carrier; and
an expected delivery date for each shipped item, wherein;
the routes are determined by the package routing module prior to the transport of the shipped items andeach route is comprised of one or more intermediate locations, and;
a non-occurrence exceptions module, wherein;
the non-occurrence exceptions module is configured to monitor the routes of each shipped item in transport by the carrier and assign a status to each shipped item based on an event occurring at said one or more intermediate locations;
said non-occurrence exceptions module configured to communicate said status to the visibility engine to provide enhanced visibility of the shipped items; and
the non-occurrence exceptions module is configured for, in response to determining that the item was not scanned by a first scanning device at an intermediate location that is identified in said preferred delivery route determining whether at least one of said shipping items was scanned at an intermediate location that is identified in said alternate delivery route.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention involves systems and methods for tracking one or more shipped items that are shipped via a carrier. A set of expected occurrences are established for each item shipped. The items are then shipped and the shipment of the one or more shipped items is monitored for an occurrence of the set of expected occurrences, the occurrence of any non-expected event, and a non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences. If there is the occurrence of any non-expected event or the non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences, then such an event is made available to at least the shipper.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A computer system for providing enhanced visibility of shipped items shipped via a carrier, said computer system comprising:
-
one or more event-based tracking systems comprising at least one or more of a barcode scanner or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the event-based tracking systems configured to obtain information about shipped items; a global tracking/data repository comprising a mainframe-computer or a server, the global tracking/data repository configured to receive said information from said event-based tracking systems; a visibility engine configured to provide at least a portion of said information to at least a shipper or a recipient of one or more shipped items over a network; a package routing module configured to determine;
a preferred delivery route and an alternate delivery route for the transport of the shipped items from the shipper to the recipient via the carrier; and
an expected delivery date for each shipped item, wherein;the routes are determined by the package routing module prior to the transport of the shipped items and each route is comprised of one or more intermediate locations, and;
a non-occurrence exceptions module, wherein;the non-occurrence exceptions module is configured to monitor the routes of each shipped item in transport by the carrier and assign a status to each shipped item based on an event occurring at said one or more intermediate locations; said non-occurrence exceptions module configured to communicate said status to the visibility engine to provide enhanced visibility of the shipped items; and the non-occurrence exceptions module is configured for, in response to determining that the item was not scanned by a first scanning device at an intermediate location that is identified in said preferred delivery route determining whether at least one of said shipping items was scanned at an intermediate location that is identified in said alternate delivery route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for providing enhanced visibility of shipped items shipped via carrier, said method comprising:
-
obtaining, via a computer processor, information about shipped items; receiving, via the computer processor, said information from one or more event-based tracking systems; providing, via the computer processor, at least a portion of said information to at least a shipper or a recipient of one or more shipped items over a network; determining, via the computer processor, (A) a preferred delivery route and an alternate delivery route for the transport of the shipped items from the shipper to the recipient via the carrier and (B) an expected delivery date for each shipped item, wherein; (A) the routes are determined prior to the transport of the shipped items and (B) each route is comprised of one or more intermediate locations; monitoring, via the computer processor, the routes of each shipped item in transport by the carrier; assigning, via the computer processor, a status to each shipped item based on an event occurring at said one or more intermediate locations, said computer processor communicating said status to a visibility engine to provide enhanced visibility of the shipped items; and determining whether at least one of the shipped items was scanned at an intermediate location that is identified in the alternate delivery route in response to determining that the item was not scanned by a first scanning device at an intermediate location that is identified in the preferred delivery route. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. An apparatus for providing enhanced visibility of shipped items via a carrier, comprising:
-
a processor; and a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is configured upon execution, to; obtain information about shipped items; receive said information from one or more event-based tracking systems; provide at least a portion of said information to at least a shipper or a recipient of one or more shipped items over a network; determine a preferred delivery route and an alternate delivery route for the transport of the shipped items from the shipper to the recipient via the carrier and an expected delivery date for each shipped item, wherein the routes are determined prior to the transport of the shipped items and each route is comprised of one or more intermediate locations; monitor the routes of each shipped item in transport by the carrier and assign a status to each shipped item based on an event occurring at said one or more intermediate locations and communicate said status to provide enhanced visibility of the shipped items; and determine whether the at least one of said shipping items was scanned at an intermediate location that is identified in the alternate delivery route in response to determining that the item was not scanned by a first scanning device at an intermediate location that is identified in the preferred delivery route. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification