Computer system for routing package deliveries
First Claim
1. A computer system for routing delivery of a package by a plurality of carriers each having one of a plurality of physical delivery systems, said computer system comprising:
- a shipper computer system configured to;
request a delivery, of a package by a plurality of carriers each having one of a plurality of physical delivery systems;
determine whether a consignee address matches a rural destination classification or an urban destination classification;
generate a first carrier label including a consignee address field in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classification; and
generate a combination label including a subsequent carrier address field in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification;
an initial carrier computer system connected in electronic communication with the carrier physical delivery system of an initial one of the carriers and the shipper computer system,said initial carrier computer system configured to;
obtain package information data from the shipper computer system, said package information data including the consignee address;
determine whether the consignee address matches the rural destination classification or the urban destination classification;
instruct the initial carrier physical delivery system to deliver the package to the consignee address included on the first carrier label in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classification; and
determine, based at least in part on the combination label, an intermediate location at which a subsequent one of the carriers is configured to receive the package in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification; and
a subsequent carrier computer system connected in communication with the initial carrier computer system and a subsequent one of the carrier physical delivery systems,said subsequent carrier computer system configured to;
obtain the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location from the initial carrier computer system;
receive instructions from the initial carrier computer system to receive the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery to the consignee address; and
send the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location to the subsequent carrier physical delivery system and instructing the subsequent carrier delivery system to obtain the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery of the package to the consignee address.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package. The shipping system also includes an information system having a shipper computer system configured to record and determine whether the delivery address of a package is an efficient destination for the first carrier. If not an efficient destination, such as a delivery address having a rural zip code, the shipper computer system is configured to label the package for delivery to one of the transfer locations, allowing the first carrier to transfer the selected package to the second carrier for completion of the less efficient portion of the delivery.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A computer system for routing delivery of a package by a plurality of carriers each having one of a plurality of physical delivery systems, said computer system comprising:
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a shipper computer system configured to; request a delivery, of a package by a plurality of carriers each having one of a plurality of physical delivery systems; determine whether a consignee address matches a rural destination classification or an urban destination classification; generate a first carrier label including a consignee address field in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classification; and generate a combination label including a subsequent carrier address field in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification; an initial carrier computer system connected in electronic communication with the carrier physical delivery system of an initial one of the carriers and the shipper computer system, said initial carrier computer system configured to; obtain package information data from the shipper computer system, said package information data including the consignee address; determine whether the consignee address matches the rural destination classification or the urban destination classification; instruct the initial carrier physical delivery system to deliver the package to the consignee address included on the first carrier label in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classification; and determine, based at least in part on the combination label, an intermediate location at which a subsequent one of the carriers is configured to receive the package in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification; and a subsequent carrier computer system connected in communication with the initial carrier computer system and a subsequent one of the carrier physical delivery systems, said subsequent carrier computer system configured to; obtain the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location from the initial carrier computer system; receive instructions from the initial carrier computer system to receive the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery to the consignee address; and send the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location to the subsequent carrier physical delivery system and instructing the subsequent carrier delivery system to obtain the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery of the package to the consignee address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of routing delivery of a package by a plurality of carriers each having one of a plurality of physical delivery systems, said method of routing comprising steps of:
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using a shipper computer system to execute the steps of; determining whether a consignee address matches a rural destination classification or an urban destination classification; generating a first carrier label including a consignee address field in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classification; and generating a combination label including a subsequent carrier address field in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification; using an initial carrier computer system that is connected in communication with the shipper computer system to execute the steps of; obtaining package information data, including the consignee address, from a shipper; determining whether the consignee address matches the rural destination classification or the urban destination classification; instructing the initial carrier physical delivery system to deliver the package to the consignee address included on the first carrier label in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classification; and determining, based at least in part on the combination label, an intermediate location at which a subsequent one of the carriers is configured to receive the package in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification; and using a subsequent carrier computer system that is connected in communication with the initial carrier computer system to execute the steps of; obtaining the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location from the initial carrier computer system; receiving instructions from the initial carrier computer system to receive the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery to the consignee address; and sending the package information data, including the consignee address, and the intermediate location to the subsequent carrier physical delivery system and instructing the subsequent carrier delivery system to obtain the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery of the package to the consignee address. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer program product for routing delivery of a package, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
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a first executable portion for obtaining package information data, including a consignee address, from a shipper computer system; a second executable portion for determining whether the consignee address matches a rural destination classification or an urban destination classification; a third executable portion for instructing an initial carrier physical delivery system to deliver one of the packages to the consignee address included on a first carrier label in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classifications, wherein the first carrier label was previously generated in response to the consignee address matching the urban destination classification; a fourth executable portion for determining, based at least in part on a subsequent carrier address field included on a combination label, an intermediate location at which a subsequent one of the carriers is configured to receive the package in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification, wherein the combination label was previously generated in response to the consignee address matching the rural destination classification; a fifth executable portion for sending the package information data and the intermediate location to the subsequent carrier physical delivery system and instructing a subsequent carrier physical delivery system to obtain the package at the intermediate location and complete delivery of the package to the consignee address; a sixth executable portion for obtaining an initial carrier tracking number as part of the package information data and obtaining tracking data indicating detection of the initial carrier tracking number at the intermediate location using a scanning device of the initial carrier physical delivery system; a seventh executable code portion for constructing a billing manifest by correlating, using the initial carrier tracking number, the package information data with the tracking data indicating detection of the initial carrier tracking number at the intermediate location; and an eighth executable code portion for obtaining a subsequent carrier tracking number that is different than the initial carrier tracking number, as part of the package information data and obtaining tracking data indicating detection of the subsequent carrier tracking number at the consignee address using a scanning device of a subsequent carrier physical delivery system. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification