System and method for shipping and delivering parcels to a virtual address

• US 8,108,321 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: URBISSIMO, INC.
• Inventors: Neal, Thomas, Beretta, Filippo, Calzada, Jorge, Costa, Tito
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Rutao
• Application Number:
  US11/649,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/330
• 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 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00225 Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

A computer-based system and method for shipping and delivering a parcel, including reserving a terminal for a parcel; placing the parcel in the terminal, the parcel having a virtual delivery address of a recipient; picking up the parcel by a carrier; converting, through a central computer system, the virtual address into a postal address; delivering the parcel to a destination terminal drop-box corresponding to the postal address; notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel; and unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel, comprising:

receiving a parcel, the parcel having a virtual delivery address of a recipient comprising a user identifier, which comprises an alphanumeric string, and at least one of a recipient name and physical address data;

converting, through a central computer system, using the user identifier, the virtual address into a postal address specified by the recipient;

delivering the parcel to a destination corresponding to the postal address; and

checking the recipient name or physical address data contained in the virtual delivery address on the parcel against data contained in a user profile and, if the data in the virtual delivery address is not consistent with the data stored in the user profile, notifying a user with a request for corrective action.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination is a terminal drop-box, further comprising unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parcel is received in a terminal, further comprising reserving a terminal for the parcel.

5. A computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel, comprising:

receiving a parcel, the parcel having a virtual delivery address of a recipient;

converting, through a central computer system, the virtual address into a postal address specified by the recipient;

delivering the parcel to a destination corresponding to the postal address;

wherein the parcel is transported to a preferred delivery address based on the virtual address of the parcel, the transportation routing of the parcel is based on the virtual address of the parcel, an estimated time of arrival of the package is determined by a central computer system, and the preferred delivery address is based on the estimated time of arrival of the package,

wherein the routing, estimated time of arrival, and delivery address are continuously updated in two or more ways selected from the following group;

as the central computer system receives leg delivery information;

as the central computer system receives transportation information;

as the central computer system receives weather information; and

based on a capacity optimization routine.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the destination is a terminal drop-box, further comprising unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the parcel is received in a terminal, further comprising reserving a terminal for the parcel.

9. A computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel, comprising:

receiving a parcel, the parcel having a virtual delivery address of a recipient, wherein the virtual delivery address comprises a user name field, an arbitrary alphanumeric string, an alphanumeric code uniquely identifying the user, and a form of error correction code;

converting, through a central computer system, using the alphanumeric code, the virtual address into a postal address specified by the recipient; and

delivering the parcel to a destination corresponding to the postal address.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the virtual delivery address further comprises additional user information.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the destination is a terminal drop-box, further comprising unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the parcel is received in a terminal, further comprising reserving a terminal for the parcel.

14. A computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel, comprising:

receiving, at a central computer system, a virtual delivery address of a recipient comprising a user identifier, which comprises an alphanumeric string, and at least one of a recipient name and physical address data;

converting, through the central computer system, using the user identifier, the virtual address into a postal address specified by the recipient;

transmitting a destination corresponding to the postal address; and

checking the recipient name or physical address data contained in the virtual delivery address on the parcel, using the central computer system, against data contained in a user profile and, if the data in the virtual address is not consistent with the data stored in the user profile, notifying a user with a request for corrective action.

15. The computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel of claim 14, further comprising

determining a user profile corresponding to the virtual delivery address by using a user identifier enclosed in the virtual address, and user name or address information included in the virtual address, to check the virtual address against a user table.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the destination is a terminal drop-box, further comprising unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the parcel is received in a terminal, further comprising reserving a terminal for the parcel.

19. The computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel of claim 14, further comprising:

checking the virtual address, through the central computer system, using an error correction code portion of the virtual address to ensure that the virtual address is formally correct.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising attempting to correct virtual address when finding it to be formally defective.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising reserving a terminal for a parcel.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising notifying the recipient of delivery of the parcel, and unlocking a drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising reserving a terminal for a parcel.

24. A method of claim 14, further comprising notifying the the recipient of delivery of the parcel, and unlocking a drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

25. A computer system encoded with computer software, which, when executed by a computer, provide for the shipment and delivery of a parcel, wherein the computer software is provided for:

receiving a parcel, the parcel having a virtual delivery address of a recipient;

converting the virtual address into a preferred delivery postal address specified by the recipient;

instructing the transportation of the parcel to the delivery postal address;

basing transportation routing of the parcel on the virtual address of the parcel;

determining an estimated time of arrival of the package, wherein the preferred delivery address is based on the estimated time of arrival of the package; and

continuously updating the routing, estimated time of arrival, and delivery postal address in two or more ways selected from the following group;

as the central computer system receives leg delivery information;

as the central computer system receives transportation information;

as the central computer system receives weather information; and

based on a capacity optimization routine.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the software is further provided for reserving a terminal for a parcel and notifying a carrier that the parcel has been placed in the terminal.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the delivery postal address is for a destination drop-box and wherein the software is further provided for notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel to the destination terminal drop-box and unlocking the destination drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

28. A computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel, comprising:

receiving, at a central computer system, a virtual delivery address of a recipient comprising a user identifier, which comprises an alphanumeric string, and at least one of a recipient name and physical address data;

converting, through the central computer system, using the user identifier, the virtual address into a postal address specified by the recipient;

transmitting a destination corresponding to the postal address; and

using the user identifier enclosed in the virtual address, and the recipient name or physical address information included in the virtual address, to check the virtual address against a user table.

29. The computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel of claim 28, further comprising

checking the virtual address using an error correction code portion of the virtual address to ensure that the virtual address is formally correct.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising attempting to correct the virtual address when finding it to be formally defective.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the postal address is for a destination terminal drop-box, further comprising means for notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel to the destination terminal drop-box and means for unlocking the destination drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the destination is a terminal drop-box, further comprising unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the parcel is received in a terminal, further comprising reserving a terminal for the parcel.

35. The computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel of claim 28, further comprising

matching a sender identifier corresponding to a specific sender and user identifier derived from the virtual address against a black-list table and when a corresponding pair is found on the black-list table, returning the mail to the sender and notifying the recipient.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising notifying the recipient of the delivery of the parcel.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the destination is a terminal drop-box, further comprising unlocking the drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the parcel is received in a terminal, further comprising reserving a terminal for the parcel.

39. The computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel of claim 28, wherein the

virtual delivery address comprises a user name field, an arbitrary alphanumeric string, an alphanumeric code uniquely identifying the user, and a form of error correction code.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the virtual delivery address further comprises additional user address or name information.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising reserving a terminal for a parcel.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising notifying the recipient of delivery of the parcel, and unlocking a drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

43. The method of claim 28, further comprising reserving a terminal for a parcel.

44. The method of claim 28, further comprising notifying the recipient of delivery of the parcel, and unlocking a drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.

45. A computer-based method for shipping and delivering a parcel, comprising:

receiving, at a central computer system, a virtual delivery address of a recipient;

converting, through the central computer system, the virtual address into a postal address specified by the recipient; and

transmitting a destination corresponding to the postal address;

wherein a preferred delivery address is based on the virtual address of the parcel, the transportation routing of the parcel is based on the virtual address of the parcel, an estimated time of arrival of the package is determined by the central computer system, and the preferred delivery address is based on the estimated time of arrival of the package, wherein the routing, estimated time of arrival, and delivery address are continuously updated on two or more basis selected from the following group;

as the central computer system receives leg delivery information;

as the central computer system receives transportation information;

as the central computer system receives weather information; and

based on a capacity optimization routine.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising reserving a terminal for a parcel.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising notifying the recipient of delivery of the parcel, and unlocking a drop-box only upon verifying the recipient'"'"'s identity.