Systems and methods for modification of service status of geographical delivery areas for common carriers

• US 8,027,932 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• 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: Liu, Jinyue, Smith, William Ward III, Dietz, John McNiel, Johnson, Jerry M., Hu, Hsiangwen S, Goldhaber, Lynn Shaindell
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, KEVIN H
• Application Number:
  US12/333,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 705/334, 705/330
• US Class Current: 705/334
• 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 10/0834 Choice of carriers

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for modifying the status for one or more carrier services based on one or more geographical delivery areas. Such embodiments provide an interface module executed by a processor to modify data indicating the status for the one or more carrier services in response to obtaining data indicating the one or more carrier services to be modified, a beginning date for which the status of the one or more carrier services is to be modified, an ending date for which the status will return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified, one or more geographical delivery areas in which the status is to be modified, and a modification for the one or more carrier services.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a first status and a second status for one or more carrier package shipping services based on one or more geographical delivery areas in a multi-carrier package shipping system, said first status associated with a first common carrier and said second status associated with a second common carrier, comprising the steps of:

(1) modifying data stored in at least one storage media and indicating said first status and said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services, by at least one computer processor, in response to;

(a) obtaining first data indicating a first beginning date for which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from a first common carrier system associated with said first common carrier over a communication network;

(b) obtaining second data indicating a first ending date for which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified from said first common carrier system over said communication network;

(c) obtaining third data indicating said one or more geographical delivery areas in which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from said first common carrier system over said communication network;

(d) obtaining fourth data indicating a first modification for said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services from said first common carrier system over said communication network;

(e) obtaining fifth data indicating a second beginning date for which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from a second common carrier system associated with said second common carrier over said communication network;

(f) obtaining sixth data indicating a second ending date for which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified from said second common carrier system over said communication network;

(g) obtaining seventh data indicating said one or more geographical delivery areas in which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from said second common carrier system over said communication network; and

(h) obtaining eighth data indicating a second modification for said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services from said second common carrier system over said communication network; and

(2) in response to receiving an inquiry about at least one of said one or more package shipping carrier services from said multi-carrier package shipping system, said inquiry indicating said first common carrier and said second common carrier and a particular geographical delivery area;

(a) querying said modified data stored in said at least one storage media by said at least one computer processor;

(b) in response to (1) said inquiry being received after said first beginning date, (2) said inquiry being received prior to said first ending date, and (3) said particular geographical delivery area being one of said one or more geographical delivery areas indicated in said third data, transmitting said fourth data indicating said first modification of said first status to said multi-carrier package system for publishing to a shipper; and

(c) in response to (1) said inquiry being received after said second beginning date, (2) said inquiry being received prior to said second ending date, and (3) said particular geographical delivery area being one of said one or more geographical delivery areas indicated in said seventh data, transmitting said eighth data indicating said second modification of said second status to said multi-carrier package system for publishing to said shipper.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first status and said second status comprise normal, terminated, suspended, delayed, embargoed, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographical delivery area is a zip code.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of-modifying data indicating said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services, by said at least one computer processor, in response to obtaining data indicating a description for why said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of automatically modifying said data indicating said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services, by said at least one computer processor, to its pre-existing state prior to being modified.

5. A system for modifying a first status and a second status for one or more carrier services based on one or more geographical delivery areas in a multi-carrier package shipping system, said first status associated with a first common carrier and said second status associated with a second common carrier, said system comprising:

at least one network in communication with said multi-carrier package shipping system and a plurality of carrier systems for common carriers;

at least one storage media;

a processor in communication with said at least one storage media and said at least one network and configured to execute an interface module to;

(1) modify data stored in said at least one storage media indicating said first status and said second status for one or more carrier package shipping services in response to;

(a) obtaining first data indicating a first beginning date for which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified;

(b) obtaining second data indicating a first ending date for which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified;

(c) obtaining third data indicating said one or more geographical delivery areas in which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified; and

(d) obtaining fourth data indicating a first modification for said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth data are obtained over said at least one network from a first of said plurality of carrier systems, said first carrier system being associated with said first common carrier;

(e) obtaining fifth data indicating a second beginning date for which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified;

(f) obtaining sixth data indicating a second ending date for which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified;

(g) obtaining seventh data indicating said one or more geographical delivery areas in which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified; and

(h) obtaining eighth data indicating a second modification for said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services, wherein said fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth data are obtained over said at least one network from a second of said plurality of carrier systems, said second carrier system being associated with said second common carrier; and

(2) in response to receiving an inquiry about at least one of said one or more carrier package shipping services from said multi-carrier package shipping system, said inquiry indicating said first common carrier and said second common carrier and a particular geographical delivery area;

(a) query said modified data;

(b) in response to (1) said inquiry being received after said first beginning date, (2) said inquiry being received prior to said first ending date, and (3) said particular geographical delivery area being one of said one or more geographical delivery areas indicated in said third data, transmit said fourth data indicating said first modification of said first status to said multi-carrier package system for publishing to a shipper; and

(c) in response to (1) said inquiry being received after said second beginning date, (2) said inquiry being received prior to said second ending date, and (3) said particular geographical delivery area being one of said one or more geographical delivery areas indicated in said seventh data, transmit said eighth data indicating said second modification of said second status to said multi-carrier package system for publishing to said shipper.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of said first status and said second status comprise normal, terminated, suspended, delayed, embargo, or any combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said geographical delivery area is a zip code.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said processor executes said interface module to modify said data indicating said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services in response to obtaining data indicating a description for why said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from said first carrier system.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said processor is further configured to execute said interface module to automatically modify said data indicating said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services to its pre-existing state prior to being modified.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program for modifying a first status and a second status for one or more carrier package shipping services based on one or more geographical delivery areas in a multi-carrier package shipping system, said first status associated with a first common carrier and said second status associated with a second common carrier, said computer program being executable by a processor to:

(1) modify data stored in said at least one storage media indicating said first status and said second status for one or more carrier package shipping services in response to;

(a) obtaining first data indicating a first beginning date for which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from a first common carrier system associated with said first common carrier over a communication network;

(b) obtaining second data indicating a first ending date for which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified from said first common carrier system over said communication network;

(c) obtaining third data indicating said one or more geographical delivery areas in which said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from said first common carrier system over said communication network;

(d) obtaining fourth data indicating a first modification for said first status for said one or more carrier package shipping services from said first common carrier system over said communication network;

(e) obtaining fifth data indicating a second beginning date for which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from a second common carrier system associated with said second common carrier over said communication network;

(f) obtaining sixth data indicating a second ending date for which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to return to its pre-existing state prior to being modified from said second common carrier system over said communication network;

(g) obtaining seventh data indicating said one or more geographical delivery areas in which said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services is to be modified from said second common carrier system over said communication network; and

(h) obtaining eighth data indicating a second modification for said second status for said one or more carrier package shipping services from said second common carrier system over said communication network; and

(2) in response to receiving an inquiry about at least one of said one or more carrier package shipping services from said multi-carrier package shipping system, said inquiry indicating said first common carrier and said second common carrier and a particular geographical delivery area;

(a) query said modified data stored in said at least one storage media;

(b) in response to (1) said inquiry being received after said first beginning date, (2) said inquiry being received prior to said first ending date, and (3) said particular geographical delivery area being one of said one or more geographical delivery areas indicated in said third data, transmit said fourth data indicating said first modification of said first status to said multi-carrier package system for publishing to a shipper; and

(c) in response to (1) said inquiry being received after said second beginning date, (2) said inquiry being received prior to said second ending date, and (3) said particular geographical delivery area being one of said one or more geographical delivery areas indicated in said seventh data, transmit said eighth data indicating said second modification of said second status to said multi-carrier package system for publishing to said shipper.