Inbound and outbound shipment notification methods and systems

• US 7,698,175 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Purrington, Elizabeth, Franz, Daniel, Wimby, Eugene B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheikh; Asfand M.
• Application Number:
  US10/265,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,748 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to systems and methods to provide a user with visibility to packages that are inbound to and outbound from the user. A preferred embodiment describes a subscription system that allows the user to determine the frequency and format of package visibility information, and various tools are disclosed to automate and customize the presentation of package visibility information to the user.

Claims

1. A package tracking system that provides visibility for inbound packages, comprising:

a carrier database configured to store package information about one or more packages that are in transit in a carrier system;

a visibility engine configured to communicate with said carrier database, said visibility engine configured to review said package information and to identify a package that is inbound to a location associated with a user, who is to receive said package; and

a user computer configured to communicate with said visibility engine via a network, said user computer configured to;

receive shipping information associated with said inbound package,

enable said user, who is to receive said package, to create a unique location identifier and associate said unique location identifier with said location, wherein said unique location identifier is not an address associated with said location, is not an account number associated with said location, and is not a carrier tracking number; and

enable said user to assign multiple unique location identifiers to a single address;

wherein in order to identify a package that is inbound to said location, said visibility engine is configured to identify a package having said unique location identifier associated with said location included in the package information associated with the package.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said package information stored in said carrier database includes package level detail for said packages.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said user computer is further configured to initiate a request for inbound package tracking through said visibility engine.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said user computer is further configured to request that said visibility engine send said shipping information in a specified format.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said user computer is further configured to request that said visibility engine send said shipping information in at least one of an XML format, a comma-separated value format and a flat file format.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said user computer is further configured to enable said user to specify a frequency for automatically receiving said shipping information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said user computer is further configured to receive at least one of an inbound notification service and an inbound and delivery notification service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said visibility engine is further configured to calculate a forecasted delivery date for said inbound package.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said user computer is further configured to receive a forecasted delivery date for said inbound package.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said visibility engine is further configured to send to said user computer at least one of a package ship date, scheduled day of delivery, exception update, and a rescheduled date of delivery.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said user computer is further configured to receive at least one of a package ship date, scheduled day of delivery, exception update, and a rescheduled date of delivery.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said visibility engine is further configured to capture and send to said user computer at least one of delivery date, delivery time, signature, COD amount, reference numbers, and full delivery address.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said location is one of two or more locations associated with said user.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said location is one of two or more locations associated with an account number associated with said user.

15. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for:

creating an inbound subscription for a user, who is to receive a package, wherein said inbound subscription specifies;

at least one location identifier created by said user, who is to receive said package, and associated with a receiving location associated with said user, wherein;

said location identifier is not an address associated with said receiving location, is not an account number associated with said receiving location, and is not a carrier tracking number; and

said location identifier is configured such that said user is enabled to assign multiple location identifiers to a single address; and

a format and a frequency for automatically receiving inbound package tracking data;

capturing shipping data of packages that are in transit in a carrier system;

identifying packages that are inbound to said receiving location associated with said user by comparing said at least one location identifier against said captured shipping data, wherein packages having shipping information that includes said at least one location identifier are identified as inbound to said receiving location associated with said user;

collecting inbound package tracking data for said identified packages; and

transmitting said inbound package tracking data to said user in accordance with said inbound subscription.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said format specified by said inbound subscription includes at least one of an XML file, a comma-separated value file and a flat file.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said inbound subscription further specifies that said inbound package tracking data includes at least one of a ship date, a scheduled day of delivery, an exception update and a rescheduled day of delivery.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said inbound subscription specifies that said inbound package tracking data includes a ship date, a scheduled day of delivery and an exception update.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said inbound subscription specifies that said inbound package tracking data further includes at least one of a delivery date and time, a signature, a COD amount, a reference number and a full delivery address.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of transmitting said inbound package tracking data occurs according to said frequency specified by said inbound subscription.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said inbound package tracking data is transmitted in said format specified by said inbound subscription.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising the step of charging said user a fee for said inbound subscription.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said fee is based on a quantity of said packages tracked.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said inbound subscription is associated with a carrier account.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the step of identifying package that are inbound to said user comprises comparing said at least one location identifier and said carrier account against said captured shipping data.

26. A package tracking system that allows a user to receive information about packages that are inbound and outbound from said user, said system comprising:

a carrier database configured to store shipping information for packages that are in transit in a carrier system;

a visibility engine configured to communicate with said carrier database;

a user computer configured to communicate with said visibility engine;

wherein said visibility engine is configured to;

create an inbound subscription for a user, who is to receive a package, wherein said inbound subscription specifies at least one location identifier created by said user and associated with a receiving location associated with said user, wherein said location identifier is not an address associated with said location and is not an account number associated with said location and is a not a carrier tracking number;

enable said user to assign multiple location identifiers to a single address, and

identify packages that are inbound to said receiving location by comparing said at least one location identifier against said shipping information, wherein packages having shipping information that includes said at least one location identifier are identified as inbound to said receiving location; and

wherein said visibility engine is further configured to create an outbound subscription for a user, wherein said outbound subscription specifies an account identifier associated with said user, and wherein said visibility engine is configured to identify packages that are outbound from said user by comparing said account identifier against said shipping information.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said visibility engine is further configured to automatically provide package information for packages inbound to and packages outbound from said user at a frequency specified by said user in said inbound or said outbound subscriptions.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said visibility engine is further configured to provide package information for packages inbound to and packages outbound from said user in a format specified in said inbound or said outbound subscriptions.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising an online file download tool to automate the retrieval of package information.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising an automated access and file download application residing on said user computer, wherein said application is configured to generate an XML request according to at least one user-defined parameter and to retrieve and store package information in a location and format specified by said inbound or outbound subscription.

31. The system of claim 26, further comprising a proactive notification tool that provides said user with the ability to request proactive notification of an event in the progress of said package through said carrier system.