Apparatus, systems and methods for determining delivery time schedules for each of multiple carriers

• US 8,341,003 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bilibin, Paul, Liu, Jinyue
• Primary Examiner(s): PATS, JUSTIN
• Application Number:
  US13/279,115
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.12, 705/7.13, 705/7.18, 705/7.24, 705/7.25, 705/330, 705/333, 705/334, 705/335, 705/7, 705/18
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• 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 10/0834 Choice of carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods for determining from a set of delivery times for each of a plurality of services for each of a plurality of carriers a potential delivery schedule for each of the plurality of services for each of the plurality of carriers in response to a request by each of a plurality of users, according to an input by each particular user of a shipping date, a set of parcel specifications for shipping a particular parcel, a set of shipping requirements for shipping the particular parcel, a particular origin postal code and a particular destination postal code. Each user accesses the present invention over a global communications network using a client computer device, and each user client computer device has an individual electronic connection to the global communications network.

Claims

1. A method using an Internet-based computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels, said Internet-based computer system comprising at least one server computer device, the method comprising:

using the Internet-based computer system, responding to a user request input by a user, received from a client computer, said user request for shipping a particular parcel according to a set of shipping specifications comprising parcel specifications, a first location, a second location, and an indication of a shipping date, said responding to said user request comprising;

determining delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rates and corresponding delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific delivery dates and corresponding delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific delivery times for a plurality of delivery services offered by at least one carrier supported by said Internet-based computer system for shipping said particular parcel characterized by said set of parcel specifications from said first location to said second location on said shipping date, and

dynamically configuring an online interactive prompt to present a plurality of interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays of said shipping rates for said plurality of delivery services offered by said at least one carrier, wherein each interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display of said plurality of interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays is configured to function as an interactive prompt adapted for user selection, wherein a user selection of a particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display facilitates printing a shipping label comprising shipping indicia, an indication of said date-specific and time-specific shipping rate, and an indication of a corresponding delivery service offered by a corresponding carrier to deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date, said shipping indicia formatted according to corresponding formatting requirements by said corresponding delivery service and said corresponding carrier, wherein said dynamically configuring said online interactive prompt comprises dynamically dimensioning and generating an online interactive graphic display that exclusively presents as interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays, shipping rates corresponding to delivery services offered by carriers that would ship the particular parcel from the first location to the second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date, and wherein said online interactive graphic display comprises an interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display for a plurality of delivery services offered by at least one carrier supported by said Internet-based computer system that would deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date; and

using the Internet-based computer system, facilitating a display of said online interactive prompt to a display monitor configured with said client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display is configured to be displayed with a graphic association with a corresponding calendar delivery date and a corresponding delivery time by which the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier would deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date.

3. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

using the Internet-based computer system, receiving a selection of a particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display by said user as a selection of the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier to deliver the particular parcel.

4. The method of claim 3, said method further comprising:

using the Internet-based computer system, generating a shipping label for shipping the particular parcel using the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier according to corresponding formatting requirements by said corresponding delivery service and said corresponding carrier.

5. The method of claim 4, said method further comprising:

using the Internet-based computer system, facilitating printing of the shipping label at a print-rendering device configured for communication with said client computer.

6. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

using the Internet-based computer system, receiving a selection of a particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display by said user as a selection of the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier to deliver the particular parcel;

using the Internet-based computer system, charging an account associated with said user for an amount corresponding to said particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display;

using the Internet-based computer system, generating a shipping label for shipping the particular parcel using the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier; and

using the Internet-based computer system, facilitating printing of the shipping label at a print-rendering device configured for communication with said client computer.

7. The method of claim 1, before dynamically configuring said online interactive prompt, said method further comprising:

using the Internet-based computer system, identifying from a plurality of carriers, a subset of carriers capable of shipping the particular parcel according to said shipping specifications.

8. The method of claim 7, before dynamically configuring said online interactive prompt, said method further comprising:

using the Internet-based computer system, determining shipping rates corresponding to delivery services offered by each carrier in said subset of carriers that would ship the particular parcel according to said shipping specifications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display comprises:

an indication of a shipping rate corresponding to a particular delivery service offered by a particular carrier that would ship the particular parcel according to said shipping specifications; and

an indication of a corresponding calendar delivery date and a corresponding delivery time by which said particular delivery service would deliver the particular parcel according to said shipping specifications.

10. An Internet-based computer system executing a parcel shipping process facilitating shipment of a plurality of parcels, said Internet-based computer system comprising at least one computer device that is programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:

responding to a user request input by a user, received from a client computer, said user request for shipping a particular parcel according to a set of shipping specifications comprising parcel specifications, a first location, a second location, and an indication of a shipping date, said responding to said user request comprising;

determining delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rates and corresponding delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific delivery dates and corresponding delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific delivery times for a plurality of delivery services offered by at least one carrier supported by said Internet-based computer system for shipping said particular parcel characterized by said set of parcel specifications from said first location to said second location on said shipping date, and

dynamically configuring an online interactive prompt to present a plurality of interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays of said shipping rates for said plurality of delivery services offered by said at least one carrier, wherein each interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display of said plurality of interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays is configured to function as an interactive prompt adapted for user selection, wherein a user selection of a particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display facilitates printing a shipping label comprising shipping indicia, an indication of said date-specific and time-specific shipping rate, and an indication of a corresponding delivery service offered by a corresponding carrier to deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date, said shipping indicia formatted according to corresponding formatting requirements by said corresponding delivery service and said corresponding carrier, wherein said dynamically configuring said online interactive prompt comprises dynamically dimensioning and generating an online interactive graphic display that exclusively presents as interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays, shipping rates corresponding to delivery services offered by carriers that would ship the particular parcel from the first location to the second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date, and wherein said online interactive graphic display comprises an interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display for a plurality of delivery services offered by at least one carrier supported by said Internet-based computer system that would deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date; and

facilitating a display of said online interactive prompt to a display monitor configured with said client computer.

11. The Internet-based computer system of claim 10, said at least one computer device being further programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:

receiving a selection by the user of a particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display as a selection of the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier to deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date.

12. The Internet-based computer system of claim 11, said at least one computer device being further programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:

charging an account associated with the user for an amount corresponding to said particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display.

13. The Internet-based computer system of claim 11, said at least one computer device being further programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:

generating a shipping label for shipping the particular parcel using the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier.

14. The Internet-based computer system of claim 13, said at least one computer device being further programmed, alone or in conjunction with other computer devices, for:

facilitating printing of the shipping label at a print-rendering device configured for communication with the client computer.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program instructions that, when executed by a computer device, direct at least one computer device to:

respond to a user request input by a user, received from a client computer, said user request for shipping a particular parcel according to a set of shipping specifications comprising parcel specifications, a first location, a second location, and an indication of a shipping date, said respond to said user request comprising;

determine delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rates and corresponding delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific delivery dates and corresponding delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific delivery times for a plurality of delivery services offered by at least one carrier supported by said Internet-based computer system for shipping said particular parcel characterized by said set of parcel specifications from said first location to said second location on said shipping date, and

dynamically configure an online interactive prompt to present a plurality of interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays of said shipping rates for said plurality of delivery services offered by said at least one carrier, wherein each interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display of said plurality of interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays is configured to function as an interactive prompt adapted for user selection, wherein a user selection of a particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display facilitates printing a shipping label comprising shipping indicia, an indication of said date-specific and time-specific shipping rate, and an indication of a corresponding delivery service offered by a corresponding carrier to deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date, said shipping indicia formatted according to corresponding formatting requirements by said corresponding delivery service and said corresponding carrier, wherein said dynamically configureaid online interactive prompt comprises dynamically dimensioning and generating an online interactive graphic display that exclusively presents as interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate displays, shipping rates corresponding to delivery services offered by carriers that would ship the particular parcel from the first location to the second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date, and wherein said online interactive graphic display comprises an interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display for a plurality of delivery services offered by at least one carrier that would deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date; and

facilitate a display of said online interactive prompt to a display monitor configured with said client computer.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, said computer program instructions that, when executed by a computer device, further direct at least one computer device to:

receive a selection by the user of a particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display as a selection of the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier to deliver said particular parcel from said first location to said second location according to said parcel specifications and said shipping date.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, said computer program instructions that, when executed by a computer device, further direct at least one computer device to:

charge an account associated with the user for an amount corresponding to said particular interactive date-specific and time-specific shipping rate display;

generate a shipping label for shipping the particular parcel using the corresponding delivery service offered by the corresponding carrier; and

facilitate printing of the shipping label at a print-rendering device configured for communication with the client computer.