System and method for obtaining and tracking up-to the-minute delivery locations of employees via a database system

• US 7,693,839 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Gagliardi, Michael A., Soutloglou, Elissavet, Strobel, Kevin L., Meng, Yuecheng, Valovich, James M., Bodie, Kevin W., Daniels, Edward P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Miranda
• Application Number:
  US09/862,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,241 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/201, 709/206, 709/245, 709/203, 709/246, 709/204, 709/238, 709217-224, 455/456.1, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

This present invention is a method and system for providing an up-to-the-minute location of a recipient for delivery of a message. A computerized system imports corporation databases containing employee location codes and delivery preference information (as well as addresses for various message media such as FAX telephone numbers, E-mail addresses, Pager telephone Numbers, etc.) to a database in or accessible by the corporation'"'"'s Mail Room. The system includes WEB-based and telephone access to this information to allow employees to keep this information up to date.

Claims

1. A method for locating a recipient of a message in a corporation using a computerized system, comprising:

compiling on a computer a database of a recipient'"'"'s scheduled location, a recipient'"'"'s delivery preference, and a corporation'"'"'s preference;

receiving in a processing device connected to the database an updated scheduled location and/or delivery preference for entry in the database; and

locating the recipient in response to a user inquiry to the system, comprising;

generating in the processing device a merged preference set by merging the recipient'"'"'s delivery preference and the corporation'"'"'s preference; and

providing to the user the updated scheduled location and the merged preference set to facilitate delivery of the message to the recipient at the updated scheduled location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the updated scheduled location is provided by the recipient.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the updated scheduled location is received via a computer based network.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the updated scheduled location is received via telephone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a mailpiece.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising delivering the mailpiece to the recipient at the updated scheduled location.

5. A computer based system for locating a recipient of a message in a corporation, comprising:

a database containing a recipient'"'"'s scheduled location, a recipient'"'"'s delivery preference, and a corporation'"'"'s preference, wherein the database is stored on a computer; and

a processing device connected to the database for receiving an updated scheduled location and/or delivery preference for entry in the database,

wherein, to locate the recipient in response to a user inquiry to the system, the processing device is configured to generate a merged preference set by merging the recipient'"'"'s delivery preference and the corporation'"'"'s preference, and to provide to the user the recipient'"'"'s updated scheduled location and the merged preference set to facilitate delivery of the message to the recipient at the updated scheduled location.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the message comprises a mailpiece.