Computer system for routing package deliveries

• US 8,712,923 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:
  US13/019,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125665A1
• 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 generating a multi-carrier shipping label, the method comprising:

identifying, via one or more processors, a first carrier-specific tracking number associated with a first carrier, wherein the first carrier-specific tracking number is to be used by the first carrier in transporting a parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s delivery network;

identifying, via the one or more processors, a second carrier-specific tracking number associated with a second carrier, wherein the second carrier-specific tracking number is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network;

storing, via the one or more processors, the first carrier-specific tracking number in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number; and

generating, via the one or more processors and in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a rural area, a multi-carrier shipping label that is to be affixed to the exterior of the parcel and that comprises (a) at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and (b) at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a first level of service to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s delivery network; and

identifying a second level of service to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network, wherein the multi-carrier shipping label further comprises (a) indicia of the first level of service and (b) indicia of the second level of service.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising electronically transmitting an image of the multi-carrier shipping label to a shipper.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first carrier-specific tracking number and the second carrier-specific tracking number on the multi-carrier shipping label are machine readable.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a transfer location to transfer the parcel from the first carrier to the second carrier to complete delivery of the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the multi-carrier shipping label further comprises indicia of the transfer location.

7. The method of claim 6, 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.

8. 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;

identify a first carrier-specific tracking number associated with a first carrier, wherein the first carrier-specific tracking number is to be used by the first carrier in transporting a parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s delivery network;

identify a second carrier-specific tracking number associated with a second carrier, wherein the second carrier-specific tracking number is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network;

store the first carrier-specific tracking number in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number; and

generate in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a rural area a multi-carrier shipping label that is to be affixed to the exterior of the parcel and that comprises (a) at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and (b) at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

identify a first level of service to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s delivery network; and

identify a second level of service to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network, wherein the multi-carrier shipping label further comprises (a) indicia of the first level of service and (b) indicia of the second level of service.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to transmit an image of the multi-carrier shipping label to a shipper.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first carrier-specific tracking number and the second carrier-specific tracking number on the multi-carrier shipping label are machine readable.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to identify a transfer location to transfer the parcel from the first carrier to the second carrier to complete delivery of the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the multi-carrier shipping label further comprises indicia of the transfer location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, 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.

15. A computer program product for generating a multi-carrier shipping label, 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;

an executable portion configured to identify a first carrier-specific tracking number associated with a first carrier, wherein the first carrier-specific tracking number is to be used by the first carrier in transporting a parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s delivery network;

an executable portion configured to identify a second carrier-specific tracking number associated with a second carrier, wherein the second carrier-specific tracking number is to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network;

an executable portion configured to store the first carrier-specific tracking number in association with the second carrier-specific tracking number; and

an executable portion configured to generate in response to determining that the parcel is designated for a delivery destination in a rural area a multi-carrier shipping label that is to be affixed to the exterior of the parcel and that comprises both (a) at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of the first carrier-specific tracking number associated with the first carrier and (b) at least one of visible human-readable indicia or visible machine-readable indicia of the second carrier-specific tracking number associated with the second carrier.

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

an executable portion configured to identify a first level of service to be used by the first carrier in transporting the parcel through the first carrier'"'"'s delivery network; and

an executable portion configured to identify a second level of service to be used by the second carrier in transporting the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network, wherein the multi-carrier shipping label further comprises (a) indicia of the first level of service and (b) indicia of the second level of service.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising an executable portion configured to transmit an image of the multi-carrier shipping label to a shipper.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first carrier-specific tracking number and the second carrier-specific tracking number on the multi-carrier shipping label are machine readable.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising an executable portion configured to identify a transfer location to transfer the parcel from the first carrier to the second carrier to complete delivery of the parcel through the second carrier'"'"'s delivery network.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the multi-carrier shipping label further comprises indicia of the transfer location.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, 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.