Apparatus, systems and methods for online, multi-carrier, multi-service parcel shipping management featuring shipping location comparison across multiple carriers

• US 8,364,606 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Auctane LLC (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Iship Incorporated, Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bennett, David Allison, Smith, William W. III, Mentzer, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Plucinski, Jamisue
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, MICHAEL M
• Application Number:
  US09/684,871
• Time in Patent Office: 4,498 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/1.1, 705/500, 705/333, 705/335
• US Class Current: 705/335
• 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 that provide each of a plurality of users, in response to each particular user'"'"'s request, information concerning, and an identification of: each carrier of a plurality of carriers that supports the shipper'"'"'s preferred shipping location; whether each carrier supports the shipper'"'"'s preferred shipping location for shipping a particular parcel; and pricing for each service offered by each carrier for the shipper'"'"'s chosen shipping location, wherein each user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a client computer device, each user client computer device having their own individual electronic connection to the global communications network.

Claims

1. A shipping management computer system, said shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device, wherein said shipping management computer system is programmed to:

receive from each respective user of a plurality of users, a respective input of a set of parcel specifications and a recipient address for shipping a respective particular parcel, wherein each respective user accesses the shipping management computer system over a global communications network using a respective user client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network;

in response to each respective input, apply a set of carrier-specific shipping location type rules for each carrier of a plurality of carriers to a respective default user-specific shipping location associated with the respective user and to the set of parcel specifications input by the respective user, said user-specific default shipping location comprising a shipping location postal code and a corresponding default shipping location type, said corresponding default shipping location type comprising an indication of a type of location from which the respective user would ship a parcel;

for each carrier of the plurality of carriers, determine whether the carrier would support shipping of the particular parcel according to the respective set of shipping location rules for the carrier as applied to the parcel specifications for the particular parcel and the respective default user-specific shipping location;

for each carrier of the plurality of carriers that would support shipping the particular parcel, calculate a carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific shipping rate for each delivery service offered by the carrier, and determine a corresponding carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific scheduled delivery date, for delivering the particular parcel to said recipient address and

dynamically generate an interactive simultaneous online display comprising a selectable interactive representation of each said carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific shipping rate with a corresponding indication of said corresponding carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific scheduled delivery date.

2. A shipping management computer system, said shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device, wherein said shipping management computer system is programmed to:

in response to a request by any particular respective user of a plurality of users to ship a particular respective parcel, identify as a shipping carrier each carrier of a plurality of carriers that would support shipping the particular respective parcel from a respective user-specific default shipping location postal code and a corresponding default shipping location type that are associated with the particular respective user, said corresponding default shipping location type comprising;

an indication of a shipping center to which the particular respective user would take a parcel to be shipped, an indication of a drop box into which the particular respective user would place a parcel to be shipped, a carrier counter to which the particular respective user would take a parcel to be shipped, an indication that parcels to be shipped would be available for pickup according to a scheduled pickup, or an indication that the user would call for pickup from an address associated with the particular respective user, wherein each carrier of a plurality of carriers that would support shipping the particular respective parcel from the respective user-specific default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type is identified according to a respective set of shipping location rules for the carrier as applied to the respective default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type associated with the respective user, wherein each respective user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a respective client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network; and

generate a dynamically-dimensioned, interactive simultaneous online display comprising a selectably-interactive entry for each delivery service for each shipping carrier.

3. A shipping management computer system, said shipping management computer system comprising at least one computer device, wherein said shipping management computer system is programmed to:

collect as a respective default shipping location for a respective particular user of a plurality of users, a user input from the respective particular user of a respective identification of a default shipping location postal code and a corresponding default shipping location type from which respective parcels would be shipped by the respective particular user, said corresponding default shipping location type comprising;

an indication of a call for pickup from an address associated with the respective particular user, an indication that parcels would be available for pickup according to a scheduled pickup, or an indication of a type of location separate from the address associated with the respective particular user to which the respective particular user would take a parcel to be shipped, wherein each respective particular user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a respective client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network;

store in a database a respective record corresponding to each respective particular user, each said respective record comprising an identifier for the respective particular user, and further comprising the respective identification of the default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type for the respective particular user;

for each respective carrier of a plurality of carriers, determine whether the respective carrier comprises a shipping carrier that would support shipping of a particular parcel according to a respective set of shipping location rules for the respective carrier as applied to the respective default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type input by the respective particular user; and

generate an interactive simultaneous online display comprising a selectable interactive entry for each a plurality of delivery service provided by each shipping carrier.

4. The shipping management computer system of claim 3, said shipping management computer system further programmed to:

collect as parcel specifications for the particular parcel, user input from the respective particular user, wherein the parcel specifications comprise at least one of;

a package type, a set of package dimensions, or a package weight of the particular parcel.

5. The shipping management computer system of claim 4, said shipping management computer system further programmed to:

apply a respective set of shipping location rules for each respective carrier of a plurality of carriers to the respective default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type and the parcel specifications, input by the respective particular user.

6. The shipping management computer system of claim 5, said shipping management computer system further programmed to:

for each respective carrier of the plurality of carriers, determine whether the respective carrier would support shipping of the particular parcel according to the respective set of shipping location rules for the respective carrier as applied to the parcel specifications for the particular parcel and the respective default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type input by the respective particular user.

7. The shipping management computer system of claim 6, said shipping management computer system further programmed to:

calculate a respective service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rate for shipping the particular parcel for each respective service of a plurality of services offered by each respective carrier of the plurality of carriers, said respective service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rate calculated according to the respective set of shipping location rules for each respective carrier, and according to a respective set of pricing rules for each respective service offered by each respective carrier as applied to the parcel specifications for the particular parcel and the respective default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type.

8. A method using a computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels shipped by any one carrier of a plurality of carriers, wherein said computer system comprises at least one computer device, the method comprising:

using the computer system to receive from each respective user of a plurality of users, a respective input of a set of parcel specifications for shipping a respective particular parcel, wherein each respective user accesses the shipping management computer system over a global communications network using a respective user client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network;

in response to each respective input, using the computer system to apply a set of carrier-specific shipping location rules for each carrier of a plurality of carriers to a respective default shipping location postal code and a corresponding default shipping location type associated with the respective user and to the set of parcel specifications input by the respective user, said corresponding default shipping location type comprising;

an indication of a type of location to which the respective user would take a parcel to be shipped, or an indication that the respective user would call for pickup from an address associated with the respective user, or an indication that a parcel could be picked up from an address associated with the respective user according to a scheduled pickup;

for each carrier of the plurality of carriers, using the computer system to determine whether the carrier comprises a shipping carrier that would support shipping of the particular parcel according to the respective set of shipping location rules for the carrier as applied to the parcel specifications for the particular parcel and the respective default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type associated with the respective user; and

using the computer system to generate a single interactive webpage display comprising a plurality of interactive delivery service indicators, each interactive delivery service indicator adapted for selection of a particular delivery service offered by a particular shipping carrier of the plurality of carriers that would support shipping of the particular parcel from the respective default shipping location postal code and the corresponding default shipping location type.

9. A method using a computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels shipped by any one carrier of a plurality of carriers, wherein said computer system comprises at least one computer device, the method comprising:

in response to a request by a particular respective user of a plurality of users to ship a particular respective parcel to a particular delivery address, using the computer system to identify as a shipping carrier, each carrier of a plurality of carriers that would support shipping the particular respective parcel from a respective user-specific shipping location to the particular delivery address, said respective user-specific shipping location comprising;

a respective user-specific default shipping location postal code and a corresponding default shipping location type that are associated with the particular respective user, or, if input by the particular respective user, an alternative shipping location postal code and corresponding alternative shipping location type, wherein each shipping carrier is identified according to a respective set of shipping location rules for the carrier as applied to the respective user-specific shipping location, wherein each respective user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a respective client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network; and

using the computer system to generate an interactive simultaneous online display comprising a plurality of interactive delivery service indicators for each shipping carrier, each interactive delivery service indicator selectable for;

charging the particular respective user for a delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rate associated with a particular delivery service of a particular shipping carrier corresponding to the interactive delivery service indicator, and

for generating a delivery-service-specific, carrier-specific shipping label for the particular delivery service of the particular shipping carrier to ship the particular respective parcel from the respective user-specific shipping location to the particular delivery address.

10. A method using a computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels shipped by any one carrier of a plurality of carriers, wherein said computer system comprises at least one computer device, the method comprising:

using the computer system for collecting as a respective default shipping location for a respective particular user of a plurality of users, a user input from the respective particular user, said respective default shipping location input by the user comprising a respective identification of a default shipping location postal code and a corresponding default shipping location type from which respective parcels would be shipped by the respective particular user, wherein each respective particular user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a respective client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network;

using the computer system for storing in a database a respective record corresponding to each respective particular user, each said respective record comprising an identifier for the respective particular user, and further comprising the respective default shipping location for the respective particular user;

for each respective carrier of a plurality of carriers, using the computer system for determining whether the respective carrier comprises a shipping carrier that would support shipping of a particular parcel according to a respective set of shipping location rules for the respective carrier as applied to the respective default shipping location input by the respective particular user; and

using the computer system for generating an interactive simultaneous online display dynamically dimensioned to only include an interactive indicator for each delivery service for each shipping carrier.

11. A computer program product embodying computer program instructions for execution by a computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels shipped by any one carrier of a plurality of carriers, the computer program product comprising instructions stored on a computer readable medium, said instructions comprising:

a set of program instructions for responding to a request from a buying user to purchase an item from a selling user with receiving from the selling user, an input of a set of parcel specifications for shipping a respective particular parcel containing the item to the buying user, wherein a delivery address is associated with the buying user, wherein the selling user and the buying user access the shipping management computer system over a global communications network using a respective user client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network;

a set of program instructions for applying, in response to said input of said set of parcel specifications, a set of carrier-specific shipping location rules for each carrier of a plurality of carriers to a respective shipping location associated with the respective selling user and to the set of parcel specifications input by the selling user, said respective shipping location comprising a shipping location postal code and a corresponding shipping location type, said respective shipping location comprising a respective default shipping location associated with the selling user, or if input by the selling user, a parcel-specific shipping location for shipping the respective particular parcel;

a set of program instructions for determining, for each carrier of the plurality of carriers, whether the carrier would support shipping of the particular parcel to the delivery address according to the respective set of shipping location rules for the carrier as applied to the parcel specifications for the particular parcel and the respective shipping location associated with the selling user; and

a set of program instructions for generating to the respective user client computer device of the buying user an interactive simultaneous online display of a plurality of delivery services for each carrier of the plurality of carriers that would support shipping of the particular parcel from the respective default shipping location to the delivery address.

12. A computer program product embodying computer program instructions for execution by a computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels shipped by any one carrier of a plurality of carriers, the computer program product comprising instructions stored on a computer readable medium, said instructions comprising:

a set of program instructions for identifying, in response to a request by a particular respective buying user for a particular respective selling user to ship a particular respective parcel to a particular delivery address, each carrier of a plurality of carriers that would support shipping the particular respective parcel to the particular delivery address from a respective user-specific default shipping location that is associated with the particular respective selling user, said respective user-specific default shipping location comprising a shipping location postal code and a corresponding shipping location type, wherein each carrier of a plurality of carriers that would support shipping the particular respective parcel from the respective user-specific default shipping location to the particular delivery address is identified according to a respective set of shipping location rules for the carrier as applied to the respective default shipping location associated with the respective selling user, wherein each respective selling and buying user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a respective client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network; and

a set of program instructions for generating an interactive simultaneous online display displayable to a display device in communication with the respective user client computer device of the buying user, said interactive simultaneous online display comprising a respective selectable delivery service indicator for each delivery service offered by each carrier of the plurality of carriers that would support shipping of the particular respective parcel from the respective user-specific default shipping location to the particular delivery address.

13. A computer program product embodying computer program instructions for execution by a computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels shipped by any one carrier of a plurality of carriers, the computer program product comprising instructions stored on a computer readable medium, said instructions comprising:

a set of program instructions for collecting as a respective default shipping location for a respective particular user of a plurality of users, a user input from the respective particular user of a respective identification of a default shipping location from which respective parcels would be shipped by the respective particular user, said respective identification of a default shipping location comprising a shipping location postal code and a corresponding shipping location type, wherein each respective particular user accesses the computer system over a global communications network using a respective client computer device, and wherein each respective user client computer device is adapted for communication with the global communications network;

a set of program instructions for storing in a database a respective record corresponding to each respective particular user, each said respective record comprising an identifier for the respective particular user, and further comprising the respective identification of the default shipping location for the respective particular user;

a set of program instructions for determining, for each respective carrier of a plurality of carriers, whether the respective carrier would support shipping of a particular parcel according to a respective set of shipping location rules for the respective carrier as applied to the respective default shipping location input by the respective particular user; and

a set of program instructions for generating an interactive simultaneous online display comprising a selectable interactive entry for each delivery service provided by each respective carrier of the plurality of carriers that would support shipping of the particular parcel from the respective default shipping location, each selectable interactive entry adapted for selection by the respective particular user for charging an account for the respective particular user for a shipping rate corresponding to a delivery service and carrier associated with said selectable interactive entry.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, said instructions further comprising:

a set of program instructions for collecting as parcel specifications for the particular parcel, user input from the respective particular user, wherein the parcel specifications comprise at least one of;

a package type, a set of package dimensions, or a package weight of the particular parcel.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, said instructions further comprising:

a set of program instructions for applying a respective set of shipping location rules for each respective carrier of a plurality of carriers to the respective default shipping location and the parcel specifications, input by the respective particular user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, said instructions further comprising:

a set of program instructions for determining, for each respective carrier of the plurality of carriers, whether the respective carrier would support shipping of the particular parcel according to the respective set of shipping location rules for the respective carrier as applied to the parcel specifications for the particular parcel and the respective default shipping location input by the respective particular user.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, said instructions further comprising:

a set of program instructions for calculating a respective service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rate for shipping the particular parcel for each respective service of a plurality of services offered by each respective carrier of the plurality of carriers, said respective service-specific, carrier-specific shipping rate calculated according to the respective set of shipping location rules for each respective carrier, and according to a respective set of pricing rules for each respective service offered by each respective carrier as applied to the parcel specifications for the particular parcel and the respective default shipping location.