Method and system for performing a package pre-load operation in accordance with a dispatch plan

• US 9,214,000 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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: Perez, Juan R., Anderson, Duane, Potteiger, David, Burgess, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US14/177,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 700/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/40 Conversion to or from variable length codes, e.g. Shannon-Fano code, Huffman code, Morse code

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for electronically-capturing a destination address of a package and for using the destination address to automate a package pre-load operation. An embodiment of the invention includes a compression system for compressing the destination address as a compressed MaxiCode symbol, a smart shipping label system for generating a shipping label with a compressed MaxiCode and a pre-load assist system for generating package handling instructions from the electronically-captured destination address.

Claims

1. A system for performing a package pre-load operation in accordance with a dispatch plan, wherein each of a plurality of packages has a first shipping label including a destination address, said system comprising:

a pre-load assist tool configured to receive said destination address and compare at least said destination address against said dispatch plan to generate a package handling instruction,

wherein said package handling instruction identifies;

(a) a certain load position from a plurality of load positions on a certain vehicle, wherein the certain load position is assigned to a first package and a second package; and

(b) a sequencing scheme, wherein the sequencing scheme is configured to indicate the relative position within the certain load position of the first package and the second package.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a label generation device that generates a second shipping label that includes said package handling instruction.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a label application device that affixes said second shipping label to said package.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said package handling instruction identifies one or more sortation belts ultimately destined for said certain vehicle, wherein said certain vehicle is responsible for work performed at said destination address.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a package scanning device to capture a destination address from said first shipping label, wherein said package scanning device is selected from the group consisting of;

a bar-code scanner, a MaxiCode scanner, and a radio frequency identification tag reader.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sortation belts configured to direct said plurality of packages toward a plurality of delivery vehicles, wherein said package handling instruction identifies said certain vehicle of the plurality of delivery vehicles and one or more of said sortation belts ultimately destined for said certain vehicle, such that each of said packages moves toward said certain vehicle according to said package handling instruction, wherein said certain vehicle is responsible for work performed at said destination address for each of said packages.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dispatch planning application that generates said dispatch plan and publishes said dispatch plan to said pre-load assist tool.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said package handling instruction is determined by said destination address, a service level identifier, a commit time, or a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an address validation system that receives said destination address and returns an error code if said destination address is not a valid address.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said pre-load assist tool prompts a user to compare said destination address against said label address on said first shipping label if said error code is received from said address validation system.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an address decompression routine configured to receive said destination address, decompress any compressed data within said destination address, and return said destination address in a decompressed format to said pre-load assist tool.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein said pre-load assist tool monitors work allocated to each of said plurality of delivery vehicles.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispatch plan is based at least in part on a forecast of work for a day that the dispatch plan will be executed.

14. A method for performing a package pre-load operation in accordance with a dispatch plan, wherein each of a plurality of packages has a first shipping label including a destination address, said method comprising:

receiving said destination address;

based at least in part on a comparison of said destination address against said dispatch plan, generating a package handling instruction, wherein said package handling instruction identifies at least;

(a) a certain load position from a plurality of load positions on a certain vehicle, wherein the certain load position is assigned to a first package and a second package; and

(b) a sequencing scheme, wherein the sequencing scheme is configured to indicate the relative position within the certain load position of the first package and the second package.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating a second shipping label that includes said package handling instruction.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein generating said package handling instruction is based at least in part on said destination address, a service level identifier, a commit time, or a combination thereof.

17. A computer program product for performing a package pre-load operation in accordance with a dispatch plan, wherein each of a plurality of packages has a first shipping label including a destination address, 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 said destination address;

an executable portion configured to, based at least in part on a comparison of said destination address against said dispatch plan, generate a package handling instruction, wherein said package handling instruction identifies at least;

(a) a certain load position from a plurality of load positions on a certain vehicle, wherein the certain load position is assigned to a first package and a second package; and

(b) a sequencing scheme, wherein the sequencing scheme is configured to indicate the relative position within the certain load position of the first package and the second package.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

an executable portion configured to cause a second shipping label to be generated, wherein the second shipping label includes the package handling instruction.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein generation of said package handling instruction is based at least in part on said destination address, a service level identifier, a commit time, or a combination thereof.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

an executable portion configured to generate said dispatch plan and provide said dispatch plan for said comparison.