Computer system for routing package deliveries

• US 8,712,922 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• 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: Kadaba, Nagesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Vetter, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/019,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 705330-341
• US Class Current: 705/333
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• 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 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a parcel being transported by multiple carriers, the method comprising:

receiving, via a second carrier computing system, a notification from a first carrier computing system that a parcel has been delivered by a first carrier to a transfer location for transfer of the parcel to a second carrier, wherein;

(a) delivery of the parcel to a recipient is to be completed by the second carrier in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a rural area,

(b) the notification is generated by the first carrier computing system after at least a portion of a multi-carrier shipping label affixed to the exterior of the parcel is electronically read by the first carrier,

(c) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a first carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the first carrier, that is to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network,

(d) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a second carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the second carrier, that is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, the second carrier-specific tracking number differing from said first carrier-specific tracking number, and

(e) the first carrier-specific tracking number is stored, in a tracking database of the second carrier computing system, in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number so as to generate consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel; and

updating, via the second carrier computing system, said consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel, stored in the tracking database of the second carrier computing system, to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the transfer location, said updated consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via each of said first and said second carrier-specific tracking numbers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the second carrier transports the parcel to an intermediate location within the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, updating, via the second carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the intermediate location.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient'"'"'s location within the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network:

electronically reading at least a portion of the multi-carrier shipping label; and

updating, via the second carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the recipient'"'"'s location.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient'"'"'s location within the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, transmitting, to the first carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information reflecting the parcel'"'"'s presence at the recipient'"'"'s location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier are selected from the group consisting of a barcode and a Maxicode.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the consolidated tracking information, via the second carrier computing system, to the recipient of the parcel.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising pushing the consolidated tracking information from the second carrier computing system to the first carrier computing system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the delivery destination is in the rural area in response to determining that the delivery to the delivery destination is not cost-effective for the first carrier based in part on a lack of facilities in the rural area.

9. A non-transitory computer program product for tracking a parcel being transported by multiple carriers, the 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;

an executable portion configured to receive a notification from a first carrier computing system that a parcel has been delivered by a first carrier to a transfer location for transfer of the parcel to a second carrier, wherein;

(a) delivery of the parcel to a recipient is to be completed by the second carrier in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a rural area,

(b) the notification is generated by the first carrier computing system after at least a portion of a multi-carrier shipping label affixed to the exterior of the parcel is electronically read by the first carrier,

(c) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a first carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the first carrier, that is to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network,

(d) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a second carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the second carrier, that is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, the second carrier-specific tracking number differing from said first carrier-specific tracking number, and

(e) the first carrier-specific tracking number is stored, in a tracking database of the second carrier, in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number so as to generate consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel; and

an executable portion configured to update said consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel, stored in the tracking database of the second carrier, to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the transfer location, said updated consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via each of said first and said second carrier-specific tracking numbers.

10. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9 further comprising an executable portion configured to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to an intermediate location within the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the intermediate location.

11. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 10 further comprising an executable portion configured to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient'"'"'s location within the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the recipient'"'"'s location.

12. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 11 further comprising an executable portion configured to transmit, to the first carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information reflecting the parcel'"'"'s presence at the recipient'"'"'s location.

13. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier are selected from the group consisting of a barcode and a Maxicode.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9 further comprising an executable portion configured to provide the consolidated tracking information to the recipient of the parcel.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9 further comprising an executable portion configured to push the consolidated tracking information to the first carrier computing system.

16. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

an executable portion configured to determine that the delivery destination is in the rural area in response to determining that the delivery to the delivery destination is not cost-effective for the first carrier based in part on a lack of facilities in the rural area.

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

receive a notification from a first carrier computing system that a parcel has been delivered by a first carrier to a transfer location for transfer of the parcel to a second carrier, wherein;

(a) delivery of the parcel to a recipient is to be completed by the second carrier in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a rural area,

(b) the notification is generated by the first carrier computing system after at least a portion of a multi-carrier shipping label affixed to the exterior of the parcel is electronically read by the first carrier,

(c) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a first carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the first carrier, that is to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network,

(d) the multi-carrier shipping label comprises at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of a second carrier-specific tracking number, associated with the second carrier, that is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, the second carrier-specific tracking number differing from said first carrier-specific tracking number, and

(e) the first carrier-specific tracking number is stored, in a tracking database of the second carrier, in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number so as to generate consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel; and

update said consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel, stored in the tracking database of the second carrier, to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the transfer location, said updated consolidated tracking information being independently accessible via each of said first and said second carrier-specific tracking numbers.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to an intermediate location within the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the intermediate location.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, after the second carrier transports the parcel to the recipient'"'"'s location within the second carrier'"'"'s transportation and delivery network, update the consolidated tracking information associated with the parcel to reflect the parcel'"'"'s presence at the recipient'"'"'s location.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to transmit, to the first carrier computing system, the consolidated tracking information reflecting the parcel'"'"'s presence at the recipient'"'"'s location.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier are selected from the group consisting of a barcode and a Maxicode.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide the consolidated tracking information to the recipient of the parcel.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to push the consolidated tracking information to the first carrier computing system.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that the delivery destination is in the rural area in response to determining that the delivery to the delivery destination is not cost-effective for the first carrier based in part on a lack of facilities in the rural area.