Next generation visibility package tracking

• US 8,145,577 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Filter LLC
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kodger, Jr., Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): EPSTEIN, BRIAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/697,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 705/6, 705/7, 705/8, 705/330, 705/333, 235/375
• US Class Current: 705/333
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• 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 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

The present invention involves systems and methods for tracking one or more shipped items that are shipped via a carrier. A set of expected occurrences are established for each item shipped. The items are then shipped and the shipment of the one or more shipped items is monitored for an occurrence of the set of expected occurrences, the occurrence of any non-expected event, and a non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences. If there is the occurrence of any non-expected event or the non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences, then such an event is made available to at least the shipper.

Claims

1. A computer program product for tracking one or more shipped items, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions configured to establish a set of expected occurrences for each of the one or more shipped items;

program code instructions configured to facilitate shipping said one or more shipped items and monitoring the shipment of said one or more shipped items for an occurrence of the set of expected occurrences and a non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences;

program code instructions configured to determine one or more routes for each shipped item from a shipper to destination, the routes comprise at least one preferred delivery route and at least one alternate delivery route for transport of the shipped items from the shipper to the destination via a carrier, wherein;

(A) the routes are determined prior to the transport of the shipped items; and

(B) each route is comprised of one or more intermediate locations;

program code instructions configured to establish an expected date of delivery at the destination for each shipped item;

program code instructions configured to determine arrival time intervals for each intermediate point for recording the arrival of each shipped item for each intermediate location;

program code instructions configured to determine departure time intervals for each intermediate location for recording the departure of each shipped item for each intermediate location;

program code instructions configured to monitor the routes of each shipped item in transport by the carrier;

program code instructions configured to determine whether at least one of the shipped items was detected at an intermediate location that is identified in the alternate delivery route in response to determining that the shipped item failed to depart an intermediate location identified in the preferred delivery route at a respective departure time interval; and

program code instructions configured to report the non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein monitoring the shipment of said one or more shipped items for the occurrence of the set of expected occurrences and the non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences comprises:

determining whether each of said shipped items arrives at one of the intermediate locations on that shipped items'"'"' route within the arrival time interval for that shipped item at that intermediate location; and

determining whether each of said shipped items departs one of the intermediate locations on that shipped items'"'"' route within the departure time interval for that shipped item at that intermediate location, wherein the occurrence of the set of expected occurrences occurs when the shipped item arrives or departs the intermediate location during its respective arrival time interval and departure time interval, and the non-occurrence of the set of expect occurrences occurs when the shipped item fails to arrive or depart the intermediate location during its respective arrival time interval and departure time interval.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein report the non-occurrence of any of the set of expected occurrences comprises assigning a status to the non-occurrence of expected occurrence and making said status available over a network.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program code instructions configured to compare the actual time and date that each shipped item arrives and departs from an intermediate point to the arrival date and time interval and the departure date and time interval for the shipped item at that corresponding intermediate point; and

program code instructions configured to facilitate provision of an alert for each shipped item having an actual time and date that each shipped item arrives and departs from an intermediate point that falls outside either the arrival date and time interval or the departure date and time interval for the shipped item at that corresponding intermediate point.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program code instructions configured to compare the actual time and date that each shipped item arrives and departs from the one or more intermediate points to the corresponding expected arrival date and time interval and the expected departure date and time interval for the corresponding one or more intermediate points; and

program code instructions configured to facilitate provision of an alert for each shipped item having an actual time and date that each shipped item arrives and departs from the one or more intermediate points that has a variance from the corresponding expected arrival date and time interval or the expected departure date and time interval for the corresponding one or more intermediate points if said variance affects the expected date of delivery.