Systems and methods for certifying business entities

• US 8,306,923 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• 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: Amling, Alan, Roache, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Rutao
• Application Number:
  US12/573,495
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/341
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for certifying business entities are provided. Input is received regarding a location of a business entity that is visited as part of a parcel delivery transaction, and the business entity is then associated with a verified address corresponding to the location visited. The verified address and an indication that the business entity is certified may be displayed to a user. Furthermore, a rating indicative of the legitimacy of the business entity may be determined, associated with the business entity, and displayed. The rating may be determined based on a total number of parcel delivery transactions of the business entity, a trend in its delivery transactions, the length of time the business entity has been involved in delivery transactions, or a geographic scope of the business entity. A directory of business entities that includes certification information and other features may also be provided.

Claims

1. A method of certifying a business entity comprising:

receiving, from a driver of a parcel delivery vehicle, input regarding a location of the business entity, wherein each vehicle is conducting parcel delivery transactions as part of a parcel delivery route in which one or more parcels are picked up from consignors or delivered to consignees, and the business entity is at least one of a consignor, consignee, or an entity visited as part of carrying out the parcel delivery route;

associating the business entity with a verified address corresponding to the location visited;

determining a rating indicative of a legitimacy of the business entity, wherein the legitimacy of the business entity represents that the business entity exists and is independent of a quality of goods or services rendered by the business entity, and wherein the rating is at least partly determined by accessing information regarding previous parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity;

associating the business entity with the rating; and

providing for a display of the rating to a user, wherein the rating indicative of the legitimacy of the business entity provides an indication of a validity of the business entity for allowing the user to determine whether to engage the business entity in business transactions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the business entity is other than the consignor or consignee.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing for a display of the verified address and providing for a display of an indication that the business entity has been certified.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication comprises at least one feature selected from the group consisting of an icon, a link to the business entity'"'"'s website, and a listing of additional information regarding the business entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the rating further comprises calculating a total number of the parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity over a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined period of time comprises a total length of time over which the business entity has been conducting business.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the rating further comprises discerning a trend in the parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity over a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the rating further comprises calculating a length of time over which the business entity has been receiving parcels or delivering parcels via at least one common carrier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the rating further comprises determining a geographic scope of the business entity based on a location of at least one entity with which the business entity has engaged in at least one parcel delivery transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the geographic scope is determined based on a number of cities, a number of states, or a number of countries with which the business entity has engaged in parcel delivery transactions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for the display of the rating comprises receiving input from the business entity regarding whether to display the rating.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a photograph of a storefront of the business entity that is taken by the driver.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery vehicle is associated with a common carrier, and wherein the input comprises data regarding parcel deliveries to or from the business entity using the common carrier.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input comprises receiving input via a handheld wireless device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving input comprises receiving input via a Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD).

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the validity comprises analyzing input received over a period of time regarding the business entity.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a business directory that includes a listing of a plurality of certified business entities and the determined rating indicative of the legitimacy of at least one of the certified business entities.

18. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving input from a driver of a parcel delivery vehicle regarding a location of the business entity, wherein each vehicle is conducting parcel delivery transactions as part of a parcel delivery route in which one or more parcels are picked up from consignors or delivered to consignees, and the business entity is at least one of a consignor, consignee, or an entity visited as part of carrying out the parcel delivery route;

a second executable portion for associating the business entity with a verified address corresponding to the location visited;

a third executable portion for determining a rating indicative of a legitimacy of the business entity, wherein the legitimacy of the business entity represents that the business entity exists and is independent of a quality of goods or services rendered by the business entity, and wherein the rating is at least partly determined by accessing information regarding previous parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity;

a fourth executable portion for associating the business entity with the rating; and

a fifth executable portion for providing for a display of the rating to a user, wherein the rating indicative of the legitimacy of the business entity provides an indication of a validity of the business entity for allowing the user to determine whether to engage the business entity in business transactions.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising a sixth executable portion for providing for a display of the verified address and providing for a display of an indication that the business entity has been certified.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the third executable portion is further configured for calculating a total number of the parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity over a predetermined period of time.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the predetermined period of time comprises a total length of time over which the business entity has been conducting business.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the third executable portion is further configured for discerning a trend in the parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity over a predetermined period of time.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the third executable portion is further configured for calculating a length of time over which the business entity has been receiving parcels or delivering parcels via at least one common carrier.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the third executable portion is further configured for determining a geographic scope of the business entity based on a location of at least one entity with which the business entity has engaged in at least one parcel delivery transaction.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the geographic scope is determined based on a number of cities, a number of states, or a number of countries with which the business entity has engaged in parcel delivery transactions.

26. A system for certifying a business entity comprising:

a database connected to a communications network and configured to store a plurality of data entries regarding parcel delivery transactions, wherein each data entry includes at least one item of information selected from the group consisting of a shipper name, a shipper address, a consignee name, and a consignee address associated with a respective parcel delivery transaction;

at least one data terminal connected to the communications network and configured to receive and transmit input from a driver of a parcel delivery vehicle verifying an address of a business entity, wherein each vehicle is conducting parcel delivery transactions as part of a parcel delivery route in which one or more parcels are picked up from consignors or delivered to consignees and the business entity is at least one of a consignor, consignee, or an entity visited as part of carrying out the parcel delivery route; and

a central server connected to the communications network and configured to access the database, wherein the central server is further configured to associate the verified address with the corresponding business entity based on the data entries accessed from the database, to determine a rating indicative of a legitimacy of the business entity, wherein the legitimacy of the business entity represents that the business entity exists and is independent of a quality of goods or services rendered by the business entity, and wherein the rating is at least partly determined by accessing information regarding previous parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity, to associate the business entity with the rating, and to provide for a display of the rating to a user, wherein the rating indicative of the legitimacy of the business entity provides an indication of a validity of the business entity for allowing the user to determine whether to engage the business entity in business transactions.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein at least one of the at least one data terminals is a Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD).

28. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

a directory server connected to the communications network and configured to store information regarding a plurality of business entities; and

a user terminal connected to the communications network and configured to receive search criteria, wherein the user terminal is configured to communicate with the directory server to display a list of business entities according to the criteria, and wherein the user terminal is configured to communicate with the central server to display an indication of the verified address for each certified business entity displayed.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein a user is able to interact with the user terminal to select at least one of the certified business entities displayed, wherein selection of the certified business entity causes the display of additional information regarding the selected business entity.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the user terminal is configured to receive a preference from the business entity regarding the display of the respective business entity'"'"'s rating, and wherein the central server is configured to provide for a display of the respective business entity'"'"'s rating via the user terminal according to the preference.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the central server is configured to determine the rating indicative of the legitimacy of the business entity based on at least one factor selected from the group consisting of:

a total number of parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity over a predetermined period of time;

a trend in the parcel delivery transactions involving the business entity over a predetermined period of time;

a length of time over which the business entity has been involved in parcel delivery transactions; and

a geographic scope of the business entity based on a location of at least one entity with which the business entity has engaged in at least one parcel delivery transaction.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the trend of an increasing volume of parcel delivery transactions corresponds to a rating indicating a greater legitimacy of the business entity.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the trend of an increasing frequency of parcel delivery transactions corresponds to a rating indicating a greater legitimacy of the business entity.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the central server is configured to access the database to determine the rating.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the central server is configured to access at least one supplementary server to determine the rating.