Techniques for processing customer service transactions at customer site using mobile computing device

• US 7,792,712 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JUNE RAY LIMITED
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Kantarjiev, Christopher, Unni, Shankar, Borders, Louis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): AN, IG TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/244,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 705 22- 28, 384/115, 384/119, 340990-994
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating delivery and adjustments of customer orders at a customer delivery site. A delivery courier is assigned a mobile field computing device for facilitating delivery and order adjustments of customer orders associated with that courier'"'"'s delivery route. The mobile field computing device includes memory for storing customer order history data and delivery route data downloaded from a server system. The delivery route data stored in the mobile field computing device may be used by the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the customer orders. Further, the delivery courier may use the mobile field computing device to process a variety of different order adjustment transactions at a customer delivery site.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating delivery of at least one customer order via a delivery courier that is assigned a delivery route, the at least one customer order including at least one ordered item, the method comprising:

providing a mobile computing device to the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the at least one customer order to at least one customer at a customer delivery stop using customer delivery data;

downloading data from another computing device to the mobile computing device, the downloaded data including at least the customer delivery data and customer account information, the customer account information including at least customer billing data;

displaying at least a portion of the customer delivery data on a display associated with the mobile computing device;

executing an adjustment transaction to the at least one customer order using the mobile computing device while at the customer delivery stop corresponding to the at least one customer, the adjustment transaction resulting from receiving a request by the at least one customer, and the adjustment transaction operating to modify the at least one customer order; and

displaying updated customer billing data on the display associated with the mobile computing device at the customer delivery stop based on the customer account information and the adjustment transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the another computing device is a server computing device, and wherein said download of the customer delivery data comprises:

establishing a connection between the server computing device and the mobile computing device; and

downloading the customer delivery data from the server computing device to the mobile computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dispatching the delivery courier to deliver customer orders for the delivery route,

wherein the connection between the another computing device and the mobile computing device is implemented using a wireless communication protocol,

wherein the downloaded data includes customer order history data for customers associated with the delivery route and further includes delivery route information corresponding to the delivery route, and

wherein the customer order history data includes information relating to all items ordered by the at least one customer within a specified time period.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying, using the mobile computing device, the delivery route information to the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of orders to customers on the delivery route.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjustment transaction modifies the at least one customer order by removing at least one ordered item of the at least one customer order.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording, at the mobile computing device, an arrival time and/or a departure time from the customer delivery stop.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording, at the mobile computing device, a time related to the delivery courier delivering an order to a customer.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein said downloading comprises wirelessly downloading the customer account information to the mobile computing device while at the customer delivery stop, and

wherein said method further comprises wirelessly transmitting to the another computing device delivery status information corresponding to a status of the delivery courier on the delivery route, wherein the delivery status information is generated by the mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising tracking the status of delivery resources using the transmitted delivery status information, wherein the delivery resources include at least one of the delivery courier and a delivery vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising printing a receipt at the customer delivery stop using the mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receipt being printed is an updated receipt for the at least one customer based on the updated customer billing data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer delivery data being displayed on the display presents an alert to the delivery courier to check an identification.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer delivery data being displayed on the display presents an alert to the delivery courier to capture a customer signature.

14. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the customer delivery data includes an identification check required indication if or more ordered items of the at least one customer order require an identification check, and

wherein said method further comprises informing the delivery courier via the mobile computing device based on the customer delivery data that an identification check for proof of age is to be performed before delivery of the at least one customer order is completed if the customer delivery data includes the identification check required indication.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein, based on the customer delivery data, the mobile computing device automatically notifies the delivery courier when the at least one customer order being delivered requires the identification check for proof of age in order for the at least one customer to receive one or more items from the at least one customer order.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more items are restricted items.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising informing the delivery courier via the mobile computing device that a customer signature is to be captured, the customer signature acknowledging delivery of the at least one customer order.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the mobile computing device is used to capture the customer signature as well as to record a time when the customer signature was captured.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

processing, at the mobile computing device, a customer return of one or more restricted items of the at least one customer order when the at least one customer is not able to furnish adequate proof of age.

20. A mobile computing device for use by a delivery courier, said mobile computing device comprising:

a processing unit configured to control operation of said mobile computing device;

a display configured to present information to the delivery courier; and

a memory configured to store at least programming instructions executable by said processing unit, said memory storing at least;

programming instructions for accessing customer delivery information, the customer delivery information including at least a delivery route, at least one customer order to be delivered to a customer delivery stop corresponding to a customer, and customer billing data associated with the at least one customer order;

program instructions for presenting at least a portion of the customer delivery information on said display;

programming instructions for executing an adjustment transaction to the at least one customer order while at the customer delivery stop corresponding to the customer, the adjustment transaction resulting from receiving a request by the customer, and the adjustment transaction operating to modify the at least one customer order; and

programming instructions for presenting updated customer billing data at the customer delivery stop via said display based on the adjustment transaction.

21. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 20, wherein said mobile computing device further comprises:

a scanner capable of scanning bar codes or UPC codes.

22. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 20, wherein said memory further stores:

program instructions for informing the delivery courier via the display and based on the customer delivery information that an identification check for proof of age Is to be performed before delivery of the at least one customer order is completed.

23. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 20, wherein said mobile computing device further comprises:

a wireless interface configured to wirelessly transmit to another computing device delivery status information corresponding to a status of the delivery courier on the delivery route, wherein the delivery status information is generated by said mobile computing device,

24. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 23 wherein the another computing device can be configured to track the status of delivery resources using the transmitted delivery status information, and wherein the delivery resources Include at least one of the delivery courier and a delivery vehicle.

25. A computer readable storage medium including at least computer program stored thereon for facilitating delivery of at least one customer order via a delivery courier that is assigned at least one delivery route, the at least one customer order including at least one ordered item, the delivery courier using a mobile computing device to facilitate delivery of the at least one customer order to at least one customer at a customer delivery stop using customer delivery data, said computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving transmitted data from another computing device to the mobile computing device, the transmitted data Including at least the customer delivery data and customer order Information;

computer program code for displaying at least a portion of the customer delivery data on a display associated with the mobile computing device;

computer program code for executing an adjustment transaction to the at least one customer order using the mobile computing device while at the customer delivery stop corresponding to the at least one customer, the adjustment transaction resulting from a request by the at least one customer, and the adjustment transaction operating to modify the at least one customer order; and

computer program code for displaying updated customer billing data on the display associated with the mobile computing device at the customer delivery stop based on the customer order information and the adjustment transaction.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the another computing device is a server. computing device, and wherein said computer program code for transmitting data from the another computing device to the mobile computing device comprises:

computer program code for establishing a connection between the server computing device and the mobile computing device; and

computer program code for transmitting the customer delivery data and the customer order information from the server computing device to the mobile computing device.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the customer order Information includes customer order history data for at least the at least one customer.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein the customer delivery data includes delivery route data corresponding to the delivery route.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein said computer readable storage medium further comprises:

computer program code for displaying, using the mobile computing device, the delivery route information to facilitate delivery of orders to customers on the delivery route.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the adjustment transaction modifies the at least one customer order by removing at least one ordered item from the at least one customer order.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 25 further comprising computer program code for recording at least an arrival time at and/or a departure time from the customer delivery stop.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 25 further comprising computer program code for recording a time related to the delivery courier delivering an order to a customer.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 25 further comprising computer program code for printing a receipt at the customer delivery stop using the mobile computing device.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the receipt being printed is an updated receipt for the at least one customer based on the updated customer billing data.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the customer delivery data being displayed on the display includes a notification to the delivery courier to check an identification.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the customer-delivery data being displayed on the display includes a notification to the delivery courier to capture a customer signature.

37. A computer readable medium as recited In claim 25,

wherein the customer delivery data includes an identification check required indication if the at least one ordered Item of the at least one customer order requires an identification check, and

wherein said computer readable medium further comprises computer program code for informing the delivery courier, via the mobile computing device, that an identification check regarding proof of age is to be performed before delivery of the at least one customer order is completed if the customer delivery data includes the Identification check required indication.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37 wherein, based on the customer delivery data, said computer program code for displaying at least a portion of the customer delivery data comprises notifying the delivery courier when the at least one customer order being delivered requires successful completion of the identification check in order for the at least one customer to receive the at least one ordered item from the at least one customer order.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38 wherein the at least one ordered item includes al least one restricted item.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 37 further comprising computer program code for informing the delivery courier via the mobile computing device that a customer signature is to be captured, the customer signature acknowledging delivery of the at least one customer order to the at least one customer.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40 further comprising computer program code for capturing the customer signature using the mobile computing device, and computer program code for recording a time related to the customer signature captured.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 37 further comprising:

computer program code for processing, at the mobile computing device, a customer return of the at least one ordered item of the at least one customer order when the at least one customer is not able to provide adequate proof of age.

43. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the updated customer billing data reflects a current balance due on the at least one customer'"'"'s account following the adjustment transaction.